Parents of Colorado “Balloon Boy” to Face Charges, Authorities Call Events “Publicity Stunt”

The parents of a young Colorado boy thought to have been carried away in a helium balloon will now face charges after authorities declared the family had staged the episode and there was evidence that indicated the events were nothing more than a “publicity stunt.”

In a press release Sunday morning Larimer County Sheriff Jim Alderden told reporters, “"It has been determined that this is a hoax. We believe we have evidence at this point to indicate that this was a publicity stunt.”

Alderden said Richard Henne and Mayumi Heene deliberately misled authorities and rescue workers, telling them they believed their six-year-old son Falcon Henne was stowed away in a wayward weather balloon.

Millions of people worldwide quickly became enamored by the story as major media outlets followed the balloon as it reached heights of 9,000 feet in the Colorado sky. For hours the balloon was followed and when it finally settled in an open field a number of police and paramedics descended on the balloon to check on the boy. It was then discovered that nobody was in the balloon.

Even after Falcon wasn’t located in the balloon the search efforts continued as witnesses reported seeing something fall from the sky. Authorities began to trace the path of the balloon and searched the ground but found nothing. Eventually it was learned that Falcon had tucked himself away in a box in the family’s attic, apparently scared he would receive a punishment.

While authorities initially sided with Richard and Mayumi Henne and were certain that the events were not part of a hoax that changed when holes began to appear in their story. Now Alderden thinks the whole thing was done “to better market themselves for a reality show at some point in the future.”

Now the family could be facing charges of conspiracy, contributing to the delinquency of a minor, filing false police reports and attempting to influence a public servant.

Richard Henne has insisted that Thursday’s events had not been staged and they truly believed their son had been carried away in the balloon.

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