Town of vort vart at that afr several weeks on the run. Couch is wanted for violating his tenyear probation sentence for killing four in a drunk driving crash in 2013. Cnns justice correspondent evan perez joining me with the latest on this. Evan, what are you hearing about these arrests . Randi, were told that the u. S. Marshal service was tracking a cell phone. Thats how they were able to pinpoint the location of ethan couch. In recent days they told the authorities in mexico where to find him and thats when the Police Yesterday moved in to make this arrest. Now, when they made this arrest they found couch was with his mother tanya. The two of them were believed to have been in mexico for at least part of the time theyve been on the run for a couple of weeks now. You might remember that the texas sheriff there in Tarrant County had said that they had put the mother tanya on a missing persons list but they firmly believe that she was helping her son in this escape. So now were expecting to hear whether or not at this press conference theyre going to bring charges against his mother. Evan perez, thank you. Well wait to hear on that press conference as well. Heres the newser right here. Northern district and criminal District Attorney sharon wilson. Let me just tell you the format of what we have planned so we can hopefully get through this as orderly as possible. I know theres a lot of people with a lot of questions. Were going to try to get everything talked about that we can talk about and everything done that needs to be done. Im going to speak first and just kind of go through hopefully tell the story and then Marshal Taylor will get up and talk and then the d. A. Wilson will get up and talk. At that point were just then well just rotate back through to answer questions. I wont answer kwez until theyve spoken. Hopefully some of the questions will be answered during what is continually said. With that, were going to get started. Im just going to try to make some remarks and talk a little bit to answer some of the issues that have come up over the past 24 hours. The first thing that i need to do is express our appreciation here at the Sheriffs Office. As you know, we were the agency that had to work the initial accident scene, had a tremendously vested interest in making sure that ethan couch was brought to justice, felt like at the time that the court system did not adequately assess any punishment or adequate punishment at least. So when he then disappeared obviously people in this agency who had to work that crime scene and deal with the victims families and do everything they did took it very personally. It was a high priority for us to make sure we found him and got him back. And were very hopeful that very soon that will happen, hell be back here. But the first thing i need to do is express the great amount of appreciation i have not only for the marshals office, ricks people have just gone above and beyond in this case for us to help locate ethan and his mom. The d. A. s office has played as always a pivotal role in that. The Marshals Fugitive Task force that works out of this area, both the District Attorney and our agency all have people assigned to that task force. They have worked tirelessly almost around the clock on this since the disappearance of ethan and his mom. All of those people not to mention Police Agencies across the state and across the country, every lead we had that we needed followed up somewhere else we contacted a Police Agency and they took care of it. Everyone has been tremendously cooperative. Understand that theres a lot of things youll want to know and ask about that we wont be able to talk about because of the Ongoing Investigation part of this and the fact that we still are trying to get ethan and tanya back on u. S. Soil. That is very important that we dont say anything or do anything that will prohibit that from happening or derail that. Were on schedule to do that. We hope so. As i said early on, there was a strong feeling on many peoples part, mine particularly, that they had fled the country once that we found out they were missing. Obviously it was proven correct. We worked a tremendous amount of leads as i said. We followed leads both locally, statewide in the country but then kept getting information that they were probably out of the country. And eventually got some intelligence information that was very valuable that they had probably driven the pickup truck that we put out at the last News Conference the information for people to look for, got some intelligence they probably drove that to the border and crossed over the border and perhaps still in that truck. Continued to gather information both locally and away and learned through some interviews that what we suspected all along had happened, that they had planned to disappear, that they even had something almost akin to a Going Away Party before they left town. Our suspicion that his mother was assisting and helping him was proven true we believe. We followed those leads and eventually led to Puerto Vallarta, mexico, where they were taken into custody. The information really kind of turned on christmas eve, about the time that i think the really kind of concrete information came in and they were able to really concentrate on the area down there where they were eventually located. The problem with it was, as you can imagine, Puerto Vallarta at christmastime, tremendous amount of tourists down there. American people were prevalent everywhere and it wouldnt be somewhere they would stick out. They were wise to go to that area. But what i think we can all classify as really Good Police Work, found out where they were located and were able to take them into custody. The mexican authorities have them in custody as we speak. We are working the marshals are working to get them back here to the states at which point ethan will be taken into custody and put in our juvenile facility here in Tarrant County for a hearing there and we have now had an arrest warrant issued for tanya couch for hindering and apprehension. She will be arrested and brought to our veil upon arrival back in the states. Again, they are still officially in the custody of the Mexican Government right now. Some of these things that are questions youre going to have well just have to wait and not answer. And some of the things ive been asked over the last 24 hours is stuff were just not going to be able to talk about. Please understand that. Were not trying to withhold information but a lot of people assisted in finding these people. And those people deserve to be protected, what they told us and they will be protected as far as were concerned. A lot of the information that came to us were not going to be able to talk about how we got the information, or how we learned what we learned and certainly not going to talk about the investigative technique that they used to get them into custody. As i said, i think it was really Good Police Work more than anything else. Were excited that we have them back in custody, to be honest wu. Were going to breathe a lot easier when theyre here and locked up in Tarrant County. Thats the ultimate goal. Thats where were headed, where we are. With that, ill turn it over to mr. Taylor. Then well be back to answer questions. Thank you, sheriff. Good morning, everyone. Well, after 11 days of the u. S. Marshal Service Tracking down ethan couch, we can finally say hes in custody. He was arrested last night by mexican authorities down in Puerto Vallarta, mexico. I want to echo what the sheriff said, the working relationship we have in the dallas ft. Area and the North District of texas. We enjoy that relationship. Its really the collaboration of the federal Law Enforcement nks state and locals that really brings fugitives to justice. Really this was nothing more than a textbook case of that. The collaboration among all the officers, the tirelessness, the dedication, perseverance, passion that these officers have in tracking down fugitives, thats why were successful, because of that. Its because of the people. It also spans internationally, too, as we pursue fur fugitives foorn Foreign Countries. Our mexican counterparts help us and we help them as well. We still dont have a lot of details yet about his return as well as the mother. Were still working through that with the Mexican Government. But rest assured we are very happy and pleased that they are in the custody of the mexican authorities and theyll be returned to the ute henited sta here shortly. I also want to express my grat tutd to especially the u. S. Marshal service for their assistance in the return of ethan couch and his mother. Clearly without their assistance we would not have him at this time. Were very grateful to the Marshal Service as well as the Sheriffs Department for their work on this case. Bh he is returned along with his mother we expect the mother to be charged and then we expect to begin proceedings with ethan couch. As you know, theres already hearings set on january the 19th to transfer his juvenile probation to the adult system. We are bound by the sentence that he received from the juvenile court, which was a tenyear probated sentence. That sentence kcan be revoked. It is an anomaly of texas law if we revoke his juvenile sentence he would stay in a juvenile sta silt until his 19th birthday which is april 11, 2016. If we proceed in the juvenile sentence, his maximum sentence he will receive is four months of confinement. That in my opinion is not a sufficient punishment for the taking of four lives. Our request of the court is going to be to transfer his are probation to the adult court and deal with him in the adult system where we no longer have to be concerned about the best interest of the child, the child defendant in this case. So thats our plan going forward. Let me again thank the public for their assistance in capturing ethan couch because we got our officers, the Sheriffs Office, the Marshals Service received information from throughout the United States and Foreign Countries about the location of the vehicle and trying to find him, were very fwragrateful for everyones cooperation in that. Again, before i answer questions let me say that probably the one group i didnt thank is the media as well. All the coverage on this certainly generated a tremendous amount of leads. Yall have been very good and helpful in that. With that, if youll raise your hand, deent yell at me. Ill try to get to everybody. Understand theyll be up here after me. Sheriff, now hes in custody, what do you want to happen to ethan couch this time around . Well, id like for him to be held accountable as ive said all along. I dont think ten years probation was appropriate for killing four innocent people and driving at three times the limit of alcohol in his blood. I along with the d. A. Going to be hopeful that the case is transferred into an adult court. He is now an adult in the eyes of the state and i would like to see him put in an adult prison and serve out the remainder of his tenyear sentence and hopefully will continue to investigate this, perhaps be able to file an additional case for fleeing initially from probation. Are you saying ethan and his mother drove the truck all the way to Puerto Vallarta . Or was it left at the border . Also, is his father involved in any way . Our understanding is they did drive the truck down there. Thats the information that we were total on different occasions. The investigations is ongoing. Were not at all through yet. I will say that, to this point, we havent uncovered any information that the father is involved. Thats all i can say about that. We certainly havent rule td out. But at the same time all the work that weve done weve not seen any indication that he was involved in this to this point. Sheriff, you said before they left there was a sort of Going Away Party. You can talk more about that . I dont know a lot to answer that question to be honest wu. As we were trying to determine if this was premedicated as we believed it was, a statement was made that they basically had a gathering before they left and kind of characterized it as more or less a Going Away Party, which to us meant that what we suspected had happened, that it was carefully planned and timed to get out of the country. So that was the important part of that. Who was there, how it happened or where it was im not familiar with. Sheriff, just to be clear, you do characterize this as a potential Going Away Party involving family members . And you also mentioned the brother may have been involved in some way in assisting them. Is that correct . No, dont have any information about anybody assisting. Sorry. I must have misheard you. Did the Going Away Party involve family members . I dont know who was there. Sheriff, this Going Away Party, did this happen after the discovery of this video purportedly showing ethan where the beer pong was being played . I think the time line would show that. Obviously it happened right before they left. They left after the video had surfaced. What kind of details can you share about the arrest itself . Not really anything. None of us were there, tand was carried out by the mexican authorities. I really dont know other than they supposedly stopped them in a roadway. I dont know any more about that. They were driving . As we understand. Again, were just getting really thirdhand information from mexico about how it all they put out a statement this morning that youve probably seen that gave an intersection of where they supposedly arrested them so im assuming they were mobile at that point. Sheriff, where are they in mexico right now, in another city, in a special Holding Facility . And are you talking week orz days before theyll be back here to texas . Thats ricks world about coming back. I dont know honestly where theyre being held nor would we probably answer that. In the mug shot released this morning, ethan couchs hair appears to be dyed black. Do you think he was actively trying to alter his appearance evade capture . I think thats the national assumption you have to make if you look at that photograph. We certainly talked numerous times during the investigation that we believed that they would do everything they could to change their appearance. When you see the photo, he certainly tried. He was easily recognizable. Didnt seem to work too well. I dont think anybody would have not recognized him. His hair was markedly darker. I think that was obviously probably an attempt to change his appearance. Do we know anything about their movements in mexico, where they stayed, how they got te resources . Theres a lot of work still going on on that. During the investigation there was obviously references made and things like that. Nothing that we can talk about at this point. Were going to keep working on a lot of that. Sheriff, now that he has been captured, what do you want to tell the victims families . I just want to tell them that we have done everything humanly possible to bring justice to them and their loved ones. As i said many times, i dont think initially justice was served. We hope now justice will be served. As i had no control over what happened the first time, now we have really no control over what happens now. Its in the hands of the judicial system, which in our opinion didnt work well the first time but we certainly think this time hopefully that justice will be served and i will tell the families that for the Sheriffs Office and all of us here today we did everything humanly possible and youre looking at three sleep deprived people who have been working on this roundtheclock pretty much trying to make this happen. So theyre fwraetful im sure. I havent talked to any of them. I foe with what was said earlier theyre going to be rerelieved hell be back. I know you said theres not much you can say in terms of the tips that came in. Generally can you give us a sense of were these just tip thats people saw them on the street or was this tips generated from people close to them within their circle of friends or family . I would say both of those are generally correct. There are people who knew them that we talked to that gave information. There were people dozens and dozens of calls of sightings, many of which were erroneous, but they were people that thought they saw them somewhere. We certainly had our share of those. But also people that had valuable information that were able to share it wuss. Sheriff, you said they had this planned out, well intended. Sounds like think were planning to run forever because none of these offices were going to let this drop. No. I think that was a message we sent out strongly. When i was asked during the investigation what would happen if we couldnt find them, i said then hes going to have a long life unable to return to his home. I mean, he would have not literally been able to come back to america because i dont care how long he was gone the woornt have stayed out for him. When he tried to cross back in he would have been arrested. He was at best looking at a life of exile. There was no way he could come back to texas or the states for that matter. At some point we felt like if he stayed gone long enough knowing the way they are they try to get back here. Hopefully that would be an opportunity to take him into custody. It didnt last that long, nor did we think it would with the amount of tips and publicity we had generated. I felt like theyd find him and they did. Do you think he crossed before the warrant was issued, crossed the border . How do you think he was able to cross there