Newly obtained surveillance footage from a Mexican butcher shop apparently shows Ethan Couch and his mother while they were allegedly on the run from the law.
The footage, which was taken this weekend and shared with ABC News, seems to show the Couches not actively hiding from view, but rather casually shopping for food.
Photo Shows 'Affluenza' Teen Being Detained in Mexico, Officials Say He Had Farewell Bash 'Affluenza' Teen Ethan Couch Detained in Mexico, Officials Say 'Affluenza' Teen May Have 'Had a Head Start' in Avoiding AuthoritiesIt appears that they did not try to hide actions that might have suggested the Texans were from America, as footage shows Tonya Couch asking the butcher whether the shop accepted U.S. currency, which it did not.
Ethan Couch, whose 2013 trial on drunken-driving charges included a defense witness saying he was afflicted with so-called "affluenza,” and his mother were arrested in the resort town of Puerto Vallarta, Mexico, Monday after he missed a probation check in Tarrant County, Texas.
A photo taken by a bystander showed the 18-year-old being escorted away in handcuffs from the condo where he and his mother had been staying.
In the days prior to the Monday arrest, however, they appeared to be adapting to life south of the border.
The footage shows Tonya Couch in the butcher's shop last Saturday and Sunday, wearing a purple tank top in at least one of the trips.
Just hours before his arrest Monday, Ethan is seen making that day's trip to the store. He's pictured wearing a backward-facing checked baseball cap and what appears to be the same light-blue, short-sleeved button-down shirt he was wearing for his mug-shot photo after his apprehension.
The owner told ABC News that during his trip to the store, Ethan paid for chicken, using pesos, perhaps as a result of his mother's earlier failed attempt to use dollars.
The teen appears at ease in the shop, and he did not speak any Spanish but went on to say he was from Texas, the owner said.
As of now, Ethan and Tonya Couch remain in Mexican police custody.
Scott Brown and Wm. Reagan Wynn, attorneys in Texas, released a statement today in relation to their work with Couch.
"We represent Ethan concerning his juvenile matter in Tarrant County, Texas. We are not licensed to practice law in the United Mexican States (Mexico)," they wrote in a statement released to ABC News. "Accordingly, we do not represent Mr. Couch in any legal matter in Mexico. We do not represent Tonya Couch in any capacity. We do not have any additional information concerning this matter to provide at this time."