Charges to Be Filed in Colorado Balloon Incident
Two days after a Colorado family told police that their homemade flying saucer had floated out of their backyard carrying a 6-year-old boy, prompting a widespread search and national news media coverage, the authorities said Saturday evening that charges were pending in the case.
The announcement, by the Larimer County Sheriff’s Office, indicated that the authorities had gleaned new information from the family of Richard and Mayumi Heene after interviewing them for hours earlier in the day.
The office did not identify the specific charge or charges on Saturday, but said a Class 3 misdemeanor charge was possible, according to The Associated Press. False reporting of a crime falls under that class of misdemeanor.
The sheriff, Jim Alderden, said a Class 3 misdemeanor “hardly seems serious enough given the circumstances.” He added, “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.”
The A.P. reported that Larimer County authorities had a warrant and began conducting a search of the Heene home on Saturday night.
The science-loving Heene family has been the subject of intense speculation since the helium-filled balloon took flight Thursday morning. Millions watched on television as the craft soared across northern Colorado, believing that the family’s son Falcon was aboard and in danger. The discovery that Falcon had been at the family’s home all along led some to believe that the family had orchestrated a hoax.
Sheriff Alderden said at a news conference Friday that the authorities were initially convinced of the parents’ honesty, given verbal statements, body language and emotions “that were entirely consistent with the events that were taking place.”
On the tape of a 911 call released Friday, Ms. Heene could be heard crying as she reported the missing balloon and apparent missing child.
But doubts were raised about the incident Thursday evening when Falcon, in a family appearance on CNN, said that “we did this for the show.”
Sarah Wheaton contributed reporting.
Two days after a Colorado family told police that their homemade flying saucer had floated out of their backyard carrying a 6-year-old boy, prompting a widespread search and national news media coverage, the authorities said Saturday evening that charges were pending in the case.
The announcement, by the Larimer County Sheriff’s Office, indicated that the authorities had gleaned new information from the family of Richard and Mayumi Heene after interviewing them for hours earlier in the day.
The office did not identify the specific charge or charges on Saturday, but said a Class 3 misdemeanor charge was possible, according to The Associated Press. False reporting of a crime falls under that class of misdemeanor.
The sheriff, Jim Alderden, said a Class 3 misdemeanor “hardly seems serious enough given the circumstances.” He added, “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.”
The A.P. reported that Larimer County authorities had a warrant and began conducting a search of the Heene home on Saturday night.
The science-loving Heene family has been the subject of intense speculation since the helium-filled balloon took flight Thursday morning. Millions watched on television as the craft soared across northern Colorado, believing that the family’s son Falcon was aboard and in danger. The discovery that Falcon had been at the family’s home all along led some to believe that the family had orchestrated a hoax.
Sheriff Alderden said at a news conference Friday that the authorities were initially convinced of the parents’ honesty, given verbal statements, body language and emotions “that were entirely consistent with the events that were taking place.”
On the tape of a 911 call released Friday, Ms. Heene could be heard crying as she reported the missing balloon and apparent missing child.
But doubts were raised about the incident Thursday evening when Falcon, in a family appearance on CNN, said that “we did this for the show.”
Sarah Wheaton contributed reporting.
Source: New York Times
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