Denver, October 18: Police are to file criminal charges against family members involved in Colorado’s runaway balloon saga, law enforcement sources confirmed Saturday.
Richard Heene (L) holds his son Falcon Heene as he talks to reporters outside their house in Colorado October 15. Falcon, who set off a massive search and rescue operation and media frenzy after it was reported he was inside a homemade helium balloon that broke loose and drifted for hours thousands of feet above Colorado has been found safe in his attic, police said.- Reuters
Larimer County Sheriff Jim Alderden told reporters that officers were preparing search warrants and drawing up charges against Richard Heene and unidentified members of his family.
Alderden did not specify what charges were likely to be issued against Heene, who underwent a day of further questioning by police on Saturday amid suspicions that the event could have been a hoax.
Police were initially convinced Heene and his family were telling the truth about the circumstances of Thursday’s drama, when Heene’s six-year-old son, Falcon, was thought to have floated away in a home-made balloon.
The story dominated cable television broadcasts for several hours as millions tuned in to watch the drama unfold.
However police now appear to believe the event was a hoax. Alderden said “significant progress” had been made during Saturday’s interviews with Heene and his Japanese-born wife Mayumi.
Any charges likely to be filed would be misdemeanors and no family members will be arrested, Alderden said.
But the sheriff noted he would be talking with the Federal Aviation Administration and other government agencies about possible federal charges stemming from the incident.
More than 80 law enforcement officers, news helicopters and search crews had tracked the balloon as it soared 2,500 feet (762 meters) above ground for more than 50 miles (80 kilometers) before landing in a field near Denver International Airport.
The balloon was empty, prompting concerns the boy had fallen out. Several hours later, Falcon came down from an attic space where he had been hiding as the search escalated.
–Agencies