Ethan Couch Update: Dad Of ‘Affluenza Teen’ Allegedly Chokes Girlfriend

Fred Couch, father of “affluenza teen” Ethan Couch, allegedly choked his girlfriend on Friday night. Authorities were called to his home, but no charges were filed.

New York Daily News reported that Tarrant County sheriff’s deputies were dispatched to Fred Couch’s home after his girlfriend, a woman whose named was not disclosed, called authorities for help, claiming that she’d been choked.

Deputies called after Fred Couch, Ethan's dad, allegedly assaults ex-girlfriend https://t.co/ERRwcGUFtG pic.twitter.com/StIfBURDCG

— FOX 11 Los Angeles (@FOXLA) February 13, 2016

Tarrant County Sheriff Dee Anderson said that although Fred Couch wasn’t home when police arrived, the woman had markings around her neck indicative of being choked.

“Deputies saw she had some redness around her neck, potential choke marks.”

Once the officer began questioning the woman, she clammed up and declined to cooperate. She also refused to let them take any crime photos. FOX411 reported that with lack of information, authorities probably will not file charges.

Although his son has been making headlines for his criminal behavior since 2013, Fred Couch has an extensive history of criminal infractions of his own. In 1988, he allegedly bought 46 pairs of shoes with a bad check, but was let go after paying a little over $830 in restitution fees. In 1992, he was accused of writing a bad check again to buy a mere $26.81 worth of gas, but he didn’t face any repercussions aside from paying $274.80 in restitution fees.

In 1999, he was arrested on charges of assault, which led to only a few days in jail and probation. Per the police, Couch punched a contracting firm supervisor after the man told Couch’s workers to stop using unsafe tools. The supervisor’s firm hired Couch’s construction and roofing crew for a project.

According to a psychologist who evaluated Couch after his 2006 divorce with former wife Tonya Couch, the “affluenza dad” has a short fuse and is prone to bouts of extreme anger.

“He’d been angry since childhood. He was a big guy, kind of rednecky, didn’t take no s** from nobody. And so there’s a litany of times where he had disagreements with people, and he wants to go outside and settle it. And he has roughed people up. And he’s loud.”

In 2008, Couch allegedly touched a female employee inappropriately. He was charged with sexual assault but the case was eventually settled out of court.

In 2014, Couch was once again arrested after impersonating a police officer. According to police reports, Richland Hills officers were dispatched to a disturbance call at Couch’s home. When officers arrived, Couch was waiting outside and identified himself as a Lakeside, Texas, peace reserve officer.

When questioned, Couch kept insisting to the officers that he was a peace reserve officer with the Lakeside Police Department and his “police stuff” was in his vehicle. He then pulled out his wallet and gave the officer a fake badge.

The officers let him go, but the Richland Hills Police Department looked into Couch’s claims and determined that he wasn’t licensed as a Texas peace officer. He was eventually arrested and charged with impersonating an officer.

Meanwhile, Ethan Couch is locked up in the Lon Evans Corrections Center in Tarrant County, Texas, awaiting a hearing later this month that will determine if his case is moved from juvenile court to adult court. The 18-year-old was charged with killing four people in 2013 after a drunk driving accident. After fleeing the country and skipping out on his probation, he was extradited back to Texas and sent to jail to await his hearing. He relinquished his right to a bail detention hearing.

Fred Couch hasn’t commented on the allegations of choking his current girlfriend.

[Photo by the North Richland Hills Police]