Balloon Boy missing

[Evi18etty]

This is a very strange one:

Balloon lands in Colorado, boy not inside* - Yahoo! News UK

[computer2slow]

He was found. At home fine.


I smell publicity stunt.

[gtmofflin]

He had been hiding in box in the attic in the garage, reports said, claiming such behaviour was "not unusual" for Falcon.

Speaking to a media scrum an hour after he was found, Falcon said he was hiding in the attic because he had been yelled at. His father said he had told his sons not to muck around with the balloon.

The family had previously been in Wife Swap too, but I really doubt Wife Swap would go to that kind of length for publicity.

[gtmofflin]

Actually from recent reports...You might be right computer2slow!

[Evi18etty]

Kind of family that goes on reality TV (Twice i think) i suppose it's not entirely impossible that they could be faking the whole thing for 5 more minutes of fame!

[ken]

Oops. Richard Heene is probably regretting his decision to put his son, Falcon, on CNN the other night. Things don’t look very good for the father of the Balloon Boy. Charges are a-comin’.

Speculation that Thursday’s flying balloon scare was a hoax ramped up when Falcon told Wolf Blitzer that he didn’t come out of the attic when called because “it was for the show.”

Then everything unraveled for Mr. Heene. Blitzer, who was a complete marshmallow during the interview, weakly followed-up on Falcon’s comments but quickly backpedaled when the elder Heene feigned expressed outrage that he question the validity of the event.

What Blitzer didn’t do, the rest of the media did. Heene’s appearance on the Today Show was a disaster and made the senior Heene look even worse by having his son appear on the show despite being visibly ill.

There was already talk, of course, that the whole balloon affair might have been a concocted media event before the Wolf Blitzer appearance because of Heene’s history in and apparent love of the media — including an appearance on the TV show “Wife Swap.”

Now comes word that the father of the balloon boy is about to be charged. Colorado officials announced this evening that they will file criminal charges against Heene.

“We were looking at Class 3 misdemeanor, which hardly seems serious enough given the circumstances,” Sheriff Alderden told reporters. “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.”

In the meantime, “Balloon Boy” is becoming a hot topic on Twitter again. Most Tweeters are having fun with the story either expressing joy that Heene is getting charged or coming up with their own unique angles on the affair.

[computer2slow]

If the dad is so smart how would he even think he was in the ballon. I'm sure how much it would take butI don't see how there would be enough to carry the kid away. a ct maybe.

[blaze]

can't they actually send the kid up into the balloon as punishment?

Why on earth would you have one those "balloons" in the first place.

[slawnski]

Now the parents are facing prosecution for staging this hoax! Serves them right.... they should be held liable for the money spent to look for the boy during this stunt- and for the field that the ballon landed in that was trashed by vehicle and foot traffic as peole can to where the ballon finally landed....

[ken]

The parents of Fort Collins Balloon Boy Falcon Heene will enter guilty pleas in court Friday as part of a deal to avoid deportation to Japan for Mayumi Heene.

In a statement released early this morning, Heene attorney David Lane said Mayumi will plead guilty to false reporting to authorities, a misdemeanor, with a stipulated sentence to probation.

Father Richard Heene will plead guilty to attempting to influence a public servant, a felony, with a stipulated sentence to probation, according to the statement.

In the statement, Lane said authorities insisted that Richard Heene "fall on his sword" and take a felony plea.

The Heene family drew international attention Oct. 15 when Richard and Mayumi called 911 to report Falcon had floated away from their home in a UFO-shaped helium balloon.

Millions watched as the balloon's flight was televised live, but Falcon wasn't aboard when it landed near Denver International Airport.

A few hours later, the boy emerged at the family home, besieged by reporters. Falcon said he had been hiding in the garage all along.

Sheriff's investigators said the family staged a hoax to boost their prospects in reality television.

In the statement, Lane said Mayumi Heene is a citizen of Japan, so a felony conviction would result in her deportation. Mayumi Heene confessed, according to sheriff's investigators.

However, under the law, her statements could not be used against Richard Heene, Lane said, setting up the possibility she would have been convicted and deported, while Richard Heene may have been acquitted.

"It is supremely ironic that law enforcement has expressed such grave concern ot the welfare of the children, but it was ultimately the threat of taking the children's mother from the family and deporting her to Japan which fueled this deal," the statement said.

The statement, which was released at 12:49 am this morning, does not indicate whether the Heenes will face paying restitution for the search.

The couple is due in court at 8:30 a.m. on Friday to enter guilty pleas, according to the statement.

Lane noted in the statement that Richard Heene could be sentenced to 90 days in jail, and Mayumi, 60 days. He said once the pleas are entered, court workers will conduct a "pre-sentence" evaluation, and the sentences will be formally handed down in about a month.

[computer2slow]

I was right where's my cookie?