Sheriff: Charges to Come in Balloon Case

Richard and Mayumi Heene Not Under Arrest, But Criminal Charges Will Be Filed

(CBS/AP)  Last updated at 11:53 p.m. Eastern

Authorities are pursuing criminal charges in the case of a boy who vanished into his parents' garage while the world feared he was trapped aboard a helium balloon - prompting speculation of a hoax.

The boy's parents, Richard and Mayumi Heene, met with Larimer County investigators for much of the afternoon, but Sheriff Jim Alderden didn't say who would be charged or what the charges would be.

Alderden didn't call Thursday's hours-long drama a hoax, but he expressed disappointment that he couldn't level more serious charges in the incident, which sent police and the military scrambling to save young Falcon Heene as millions of worried television viewers watched.

"We were looking at Class 3 misdemeanor, which hardly seems serious enough given the circumstances," Alderden said. "We are talking to the district attorney, federal officials to see if perhaps there aren't additional federal charges that are appropriate in this circumstance."

Suspicion that the balloon saga was a publicity stunt arose almost immediately after Falcon was found in the garage rafters, hiding in a cardboard box. Richard Heene, a storm chaser and inventor whose family has appeared on the reality show "Wife Swap," and his wife had said one of the boy's older brothers had said Falcon was aboard the homemade balloon when it took off.

Alderden initially said there was no reason to believe the incident was a hoax. Authorities questioned the Heenes again after Falcon turned to his dad during a CNN interview Thursday night and said "you said we did this for a show" when asked why he didn't come out of his hiding place.

The family made the rounds on morning talk shows Friday, including CBS' "Early Show," where he claimed the boy's disappearance was not a stunt. Falcon threw up during two separate interviews when asked why he hid.

Alderden said Saturday that deputies were seeking a search warrant for the family's home, and there would be more information at a news conference Sunday.

After the sheriff went inside, Richard Heene and his wife walked out. As reporters yelled questions, all Heene said was, "I was talking to the sheriff's department just now." He then walked to his car with his wife and a friend, and they drove away.

It wasn't clear where the family was late Saturday night. By 9 p.m., an AP reporter at the family home said the couple hadn't returned after leaving the sheriff's office. Their three sons were believed to have been at home being watched by sheriff's officials earlier in the day, but their whereabouts also weren't known to reporters in the evening.

The day began with Richard Heene knocking on the windows of journalists camped outside his home and promising a "big announcement." A few hours later, he did an about-face when he told reporters that they should leave questions in a cardboard box on the front doorstep.

As Heene walked away, a reporter shouted, "Can you tell us once and for all if this is a hoax?"

"Absolutely no hoax. I want your questions in the box," Heene said, waving a cardboard container before going back into his home.

A circus-like atmosphere formed outside, including men holding signs and occasionally yelling "balloon boy." One sign read, "Put balloon boy on TV: America's Most Wanted."

Other gawkers carried aluminum-foil stovetop popcorn makers that resembled the a flying saucer-like helium balloon launched from the family's backyard Thursday, with 6-year-old Falcon Heene believed to be onboard.

The Heenes have said the balloon was supposed to be tethered to the ground when it lifted off, and no one was supposed to be aboard. A video of the launch shows the family counting down in unison, "3, 2, 1," before Richard Heene pulls a cord, setting the balloon into the air.

"Whoa!" one of the boys exclaims. Then his father says in disbelief, "Oh, my God!" He then says to someone, "You didn't put the (expletive) tether down!" and he kicks the wood frame that had held the balloon.

Falcon's brother said he saw him inside the compartment before it took off and that's why they thought he was in there when it launched. Heene said he had yelled at Falcon before the launch for getting inside.

Over the years, Richard Heene has worked as a storm chaser, a handyman and contractor, and an aspiring reality-TV star.

He and his family appeared on the ABC reality show "Wife Swap," and the show's producer said it had a show in development with the Heenes but the deal is now off. TLC also said Heene had pitched a reality show to the network months ago, but it passed on the offer.

Despite his attempts to get on TV, Heene insisted Saturday that he didn't know what kinds of questions were being asked about him because he didn't have cable.

"I'm going to place the box out front. Please write your questions down, because friends are telling me they're saying this and that. I have no idea what the news is saying," Heene said.

[Prin5dle]

But he got what he wanted, didn't he?! He's now on National Television!

[from_the_north]

Just goes to show how low some people can get. They should have to pay penny for penny for the search troops, the helicopters and any costs the airlines had rerouting all their flights.

[billatmsn]

If his wife is a bimbo, will she appear in PLAYBOY, and will colorado CPS take away the children?

[youtuber204]

Go to youtube.com and search Wife Swap Heene boys Not Pussified music video. There is even more reason to charge them.

[erasmus111]

by missme4 October 18, 2009 3:39 PM EDT
The sheriff wants to crucify a little boy because he was made to look like a fool? Typical cop ego. Typical cop mentality. Typical cop stupidity.


Actually the stupid one is you. The sheriff isn't wanting to crucify the little boy. The sheriff is after the DAD and possibly the mom. And the ONLY reason he is after them is because the MEDIA and the PEOPLE won't leave them (the cops) alone! If the media and the people weren't constantly phoning them and harassing them to do something about this, they wouldn't be.

[erasmus111]

In fact if you watched the video, I think it was yestersday, you would have heard a reporter ask the cop why they were pursuing this, and he said, "BECAUSE YOU WON'T LEAVE US ALONE".

[erasmus111]

by willow013 October 18, 2009 2:33 PM EDT
I totally agree with you....Those people are STUPID, STUPID, STUPID!!!!!
Did they think that the people were just as stupid as to belive their rediculous story????? I hope they get everything that is coming to them...That clown would sell his own mother down the river to make a buck....What a DUMB@SS!!!!


But just think, this stupid ******* is getting the attention he seeks, even though it's a little more than he bargained for. You watch, the media will continue to give it to him. Why? Because they are stupid dumbasses too! And then there will be some other dumbasses offering this ******* a reality show, for being a *******!

ONE of his punishments should be that there can be no more publicity for him. The media can no longer seek him out. AND no one is allowed to offer him any kind of "reality" show, or anything else.

[erasmus111]

Hmmmm, I guess you can write DUMBASSES, but you can't write "*******". Go figure.

[erasmus111]

I guess putting quotations around it didn't help.

******* = D U M B A S S : )

[erasmus111]

And why is it that you can write the word ass, but you can't write it with the word dumb next to it?

[missme4]

The sheriff wants to crucify a little boy because he was made to look like a fool? Typical cop ego. Typical cop mentality. Typical cop stupidity.

[erasmus111]

This guy has to be pretty stupid. How could he possibly think his kids, being that young, would not crack under pressure? Forget the pressure, kids just can't keep their mouths shut.


And now we are hearing that he could have had help from someone else with his scheme. That person has to be just as stupid as he is.


In the press conference someone asked if the mother was capable of looking after these children and they said that family services was looking into it. The answer is obviously "NO" she isn't capable of looking after her children. She obviously does not have their best interests at heart. The fact that she could phone 911 and and plead for them to find her son is SICK. BAD KARMA.

[willow013]

I totally agree with you....Those people are STUPID, STUPID, STUPID!!!!!
Did they think that the people were just as stupid as to belive their rediculous story????? I hope they get everything that is coming to them...That clown would sell his own mother down the river to make a buck....What a DUMB@SS!!!!

[liberty-is-lost]

There you have it. Hoax confirmed by Sheriff. Perhaps felony charges. The parents are the lowest form of life ever.

[midlclass]

the fact that the boy is safe is all that matters. the media cre3ated the hype. thats there issue to deal with. as far as charges go that will truely be more waste of tax payer dollars, defuse the situation. any more attention either through charges or media just keeps the ball rolling. any concern for the wife and kids should be followed through by social sevrice or better yet maybe mom needs to remove herself and the kids from the situation

[rocketjl]

Really sounds as if the sheriff is making an honest effort to appear as dumb as the news media. Charge the folks or shut-up. At least be quiet until somebody makes up their mind. If this was a hoax, make the guy pay for everything and everyone that was involved. If it was not a hoax, then identify the news organization that is trying to make headlines and a buck on the story. A potentially famous man once said, 'the police acted stupidly'. I hope we are not witnessing that sort of thing here.

[lmartink]

So this guy sounds like he's a wife and child abuser -- and you are complaining about the media...........

[MikeBtu]

This is a no brainer. If the media didn't want to worry the nation, then they should not have put the event on television. But they did for their own self interest about getting paid millions of dollars to cover the event.

[MikeBtu]

It is events like this that make the media rich, fat and happy. Who has capitalized more in this case, the family or the media?

[exaf74]

The sad thing is that some low rate "Producer / director" hollywood wanna-be like spike lee will probably do a movie about it eventually.

[toldyouso21]

They wanted attention and fame--looks like they got it. Now, charged or not, the media will be clamoring for a story. The only bad publicity in the "entertainment field" is NO publicity. As for the scare they put everyone through.

EVERYONE who watched this incident unfold (I did not) needs to really examine why nothing was more important in their lives or their family's lives, or their communities, or their universe than some story about a kid in a balloon. It is said that every 9 seconds in America a woman is being beaten...about ever 5 seconds a child is being abused, every minute of every hour of every day of every month of every year in America there are murders, rapes, car wrecks, molestations, drug overdoses, beatings, robberies, scams, murders, negligence....on and on. Imagine how much less there would be if people nixed so much tv, so much news and show tv commentary and actually tended to and lived their lives--working to make those lives and therefore society a better place?


but no....most Americans want to eat junk food, get huge, and hang around watching reality shows, little boys in balloons, Fox News and Msnbc, Letterman and Conan while the entire country falls apart around them and they wait for someone else to "fix" what they themselves are to lazy to even contemplate....

In other words--those who watched this crap or who now are emotionally upset by it--GET A LIFE... ANY LIFE...it is so much better than being some sort of human event voyeur....

[docpeter1953]

toldyouso, as usual your comments almost make sense, but fail to hit the mark.

"EVERYONE who watched this incident unfold (I did not) needs to really examine why nothing was more important in their lives or their family's lives, or their communities, or their universe than some story about a kid in a balloon."

Because while this is going on someone may be saved", there is hope. In the other situations, these have become common everyday events and the public, except yourself, has become immunized to them.

As for, "In other words--those who watched this crap or who now are emotionally upset by it--GET A LIFE... ANY LIFE...it is so much better than being some sort of human event voyeur...."

Please feel free to follow your own suggestion(s). Get a life! Obviously you don't have a "life' or you wouldn't be on these message boards.

[rtshinn]

Boyloonzled - To be fooled or bamboozled by a media stunt. From when a boy was supposedly trapped in a flying saucer shaped balloon at 8000 ft. above sea level, only to be found safe in the attic.

[stuart-johns2]

IF this guy was pulling a hype stunt and used those kids that's a shame. But whether he did or not is another issue.

The media is now condeming this man for seeking out media attention while at the same time they are giving him media attention.

This entire case, on both Heenes side and the medias side reflects the stupidity that is so pervasion in American society...especially the media.

[denvermorgan3000]

this is bull the media have created something out of thin air
and now they have law enforcement working on it too.

[nextgenman09]

And blog trolls looking for attention....

[TJphoto]

Bottom Line - the Boy is OK. BUT now is the time for the Politicians turn, The Sheriff - The D.A. - & The Judge. What these morons don't understand is that the media will not cover them with the same zeal as they covered the story. Maybe they can get a book deal. Let it go and move on!

[nextgenman09]

Yeah, let it go. Doesn't matter that a whole lot of tax payers dollars were wasted on this moron father's stunt to get his picture on TV.

Hey its only other people's money....

[toldyouso21]

by nextgenman09 October 18, 2009 7:59 AM EDT
Yeah, let it go. Doesn't matter that a whole lot of tax payers dollars were wasted on this moron father's stunt to get his picture on TV.

Hey its only other people's money...."
************************************
YEAH!!! At least 20 to 50K must have been spent in this little "possible farce"! But at least no one was killed. On the other hand our government is in at least 3 different countries fighting and dropping bombs and killing people...and at least one of those countries has suffered hundreds of thousands if not millions dead based on a war that is BASED ON LIES..But unlike the balloon hoax the cost is at least 10 to 15 MILLION DOLLARS A DAY AND AT LEAST 4000 + AMERICANS DEAD WITH PERHAPS OVER A MILLION IRAQIS DEAD..BASED ON LIES!!!!!!!!!

So let's step back--a man may or may not have committed a hoax for attention and to market himself, no one got hurt and tax payers dollars were needlessly spent... A government may or may not have committed a hoax to create a market (in the ME..they say there are already McDonalds in Afghanistan and over 30K US businessmen there trying to start businesses) it costs over a 1 million lives and over 10 BILLION DOLLARS and is still being fought even though we KNOW we went in under false pretenses.

If all men are equal under the law..we don't go after GWB and Cheney--we don't go after Balloon guy or Balloon boy. the creed is greed and if George can do it--why not this guy? Small potatoes and public tax money is wasted every day, anyway.

[nextgenman09]

I hope they screw this nutbag father to the rafters....

[tugar04]

HOAX OR NOT...... WHO KNOWS !

But the father seems to be quite happy at a chance to get on TV. And so many of these attention getters, are willing to do just about anything for a "REALITY SHOW" that its becoming a bit out of hand. Having enormous amount of babies, hoping to get a show, and yes even those who discovered how well they could live after having multiples, and putting the family on public display, only now to find themselves extremely unhappy and perhaps facing bankruptcy. This is especially hard on their children, who aren't orchestrating anything, without prompts from their parents. But somehow, people are forgetting their kids in all of this, THEY ARE ONLY THINKING OF THE MONEY, and CHANCE AT CHEAP FAME !

But this is totally wrong, and if nothing else, this father should not be allowed to capitalize on this balloon incident. Any monies he and his family makes for TV appearances, etc should be paid back to the agencies who stopped everything to find this (not-so-lost) child, ie., at least $25,000. should be billed to this family, and perhaps this would put an end to anyone in the future doing such a thing!
HOAX OR NO HOAX !