| Oct 18 @ 12:50 PM |
Balloon Boy Incident A Hoax?
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Angel54214
Posts: 18,178
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Sheriff: Charges will be filed in balloon saga
9 mins ago
FORT COLLINS, Colo. – A sheriff said he was pursuing criminal charges in Colorado's "balloon boy" saga, which first sparked fear for the child, then relief that he was OK and now suspicions of a hoax.
Deputies searched the home of the boy's parents Saturday night, carrying away several boxes and a computer. The family did not spend the night at the house, then returned in their maroon minivan Sunday morning and went inside without speaking to reporters.
The parents, Richard and Mayumi Heene, met with Larimer County investigators for much of Saturday afternoon amid lingering questions about whether he perpetrated a publicity stunt when his 6-year-old son Falcon vanished into the rafters of his garage while the world thought he was zooming through the sky in a flying saucer-like helium balloon.
But Sheriff Jim Alderden didn't say who would be charged or what the charges would be. His deputies later showed up at the Heene's Fort Collins home with a search warrant and at least three of them began a search. Sgt. Ian Stewart declined to say what they were after.
Alderden on Saturday 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."
Alderden earlier said the family could be charged with making a false report to authorities — a Class 3 misdemeanor — if it was determined the balloon saga was a hoax. The low-level crime carries a maximum sentence of six months in jail and a $750 fine, with a minimum sentence of a $50 fine.
Suspicion that the balloon saga was a hoax arose almost immediately after Falcon was found hiding in the garage. 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 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.
Falcon got sick during two separate TV interviews Friday when asked again why he hid.
After the sheriff spoke to reporters Saturday, Richard Heene and his wife walked out of his office after meeting with officials for several hours.
As reporters yelled questions, Heene said: "I was talking to the sheriff's department just now." He then walked to his car with his wife and a friend and drove away. It wasn't clear where the family spent Saturday night.
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. The family was videotaping as they tested the balloon, which they said was supposed to hover about 50 to 100 feet from the ground, held down by tethers.
The video shows the family counting down in unison, "3, 2, 1," before Richard Heene pulls a cord, apparently accidentally setting the balloon high 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. http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20091018/ap_on_re_us/us_balloon_boy
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| Oct 18 @ 1:06 PM |
Balloon Boy Incident A Hoax? |
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Angel54214
Posts: 18,178
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Huffington Post tells different views about this family!
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2009/10/15/falcon-heene-balloon-boy_n_322736.html
Here's the full story as what happened. Even the military was involved and the Denver National Airport was shut down...
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20091015/ap_on_re_us/us_boy_in_balloon
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| Oct 18 @ 7:04 PM |
Balloon Boy Incident A Hoax?
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Bj864
Posts: 3,958
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This was a terrible thing for millions of people to watch. I got so upset thinking about a 6 year old boy being in that balloon, I had to turn the TV off. I couldn't stand to think about it crashing into a mountain or building or whatever. I kept thinking if it had been my son when he was 6 years old.
If this was a hoax, I think they should be charged with the max they can be charged with. This put a lot of people under extreme stress and that is very wrong.
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| Oct 18 @ 8:58 PM |
Balloon Boy Incident A Hoax? |
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whatagal
Posts: 1,130
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The balloon was filled (as reported by CNN news) with helium. If the boy DID get into the box, he more than luckily be dead as helium displaces O2 in the lungs. The brain becomes oxygen deprived.
I'm just grateful the boy is ok though I think what the parents did was horrible.
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| Oct 18 @ 9:34 PM |
Balloon Boy Incident A Hoax?
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bardnsage
Posts: 1,171
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Filing a false report - minimum $50 fine,,, max 6 months in prision.
Charging them for the Blackhawk ($13,800) and Kiowa ($700) helicpoters,,, the time for the paid 911 personal,,, and of course,,, 15 minutes shut down at Denver airport,,,
might be more than enough punishment should this prove to be a hoax.
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| Oct 18 @ 10:22 PM |
Balloon Boy Incident A Hoax? |
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burnslikethesun
Posts: 13,027
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I blame America with her John and Kate and other crap put me on tv sh!t that fills our air ways.
The tool should be made an example of. Using his kids like that, BULLSH!T
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| Oct 19 @ 12:36 AM |
Balloon Boy Incident A Hoax?
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newlife2006
Posts: 859
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Don't you think punishing those parents is going to send wrong message to the public? I wonder how many parents will be reluctant to report missing kid in the future if they know they cannot afford all those heavy penalties in case the child reappears safe.  Granted , parents should have known better , but they don't realy seem that bright in the first place to know what it is exactly they fill in the balloon and second - doesn't anyone get hysterical and has problem thinking straight when child's life is at stake?
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| Oct 19 @ 3:39 AM |
Balloon Boy Incident A Hoax? |
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burnslikethesun
Posts: 13,027
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Don't you think punishing those parents is going to send wrong message to the public? Nope i think it will send the right one.
Dont,
use,
your,
children.
I wonder how many parents will be reluctant to report missing kid
None, none that are legit in the first place.
What don't you understand? they weren't thinking of their child in the first place.
They willing risked their child's own safety having him hide up in the attic in the first place.
They willing took the chance and gambled their child's life over personal gain.
Throw the f***ing book at them.
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| Oct 19 @ 7:00 AM |
Balloon Boy Incident A Hoax?
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SimplyImp
Posts: 1,051
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 Burns
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| Oct 19 @ 10:52 AM |
Balloon Boy Incident A Hoax? |
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eastham
Posts: 7,907
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Don't you think punishing those parents is going to send wrong message to the public? I wonder how many parents will be reluctant to report missing kid in the future if they know they cannot afford all those heavy penalties in case the child reappears safe.
Only if the initial report is bogus, which is what it appears to have been. The most recent stories out of AP say that there exists a trail of emails between the father and another man...This was apparently a stunt to secure a contract for a reality show. The attorney for the father expects charges against his client to be leveled very soon.
Latest on hoax.
[Edited on 10/19/2009 12:31 PM]
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| Oct 19 @ 11:07 AM |
Balloon Boy Incident A Hoax?
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capobeachguy
Posts: 4,737
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Throw the f***ing book at them.
Put a heavy weight in the book prior to throwing it! 
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| Oct 19 @ 11:15 AM |
Balloon Boy Incident A Hoax? |
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redhairNfreckles
Posts: 4,688
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Why am I getting the feeling that they'll get off with the minimum....perhaps a fine and probation.   
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| Oct 19 @ 12:32 PM |
Balloon Boy Incident A Hoax?
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eastham
Posts: 7,907
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If they get off with the minimum, then authorities risk copy cats. I guess, we'll see.
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| Oct 19 @ 2:50 PM |
Balloon Boy Incident A Hoax? |
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redhairNfreckles
Posts: 4,688
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^^^^....and that's exactly what I'm concerned about. 
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| Oct 19 @ 5:06 PM |
Balloon Boy Incident A Hoax?
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burnslikethesun
Posts: 13,027
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These so called parents had no care that they were teaching their children that to lie to get what you want is ok.
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