Monroe Chat

This makes me sick to think about. I hope they get him down safely.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20091015/ap_ ... in_balloon

6-year-old boy floats away in balloon
By P. SOLOMON BANDA, Associated Press Writer P. Solomon Banda, Associated Press Writer – 6 mins ago
FORT COLLINS, Colo. – A 6-year-old boy climbed into a homemade balloon aircraft and floated away Thursday, forcing officials to scramble to figure out how to rescue the boy as he hurled through the air.

The bizarre scene played out live on television and prompted fears that the flying saucer-shaped balloon would crash with the young child inside. FAA spokesman Mike Fergus says the agency has been notified and it was unclear whether traffic controllers had picked it up on radar.

Larimer County sheriff's spokeswoman Eloise Campanella says the device has the potential to rise to 10,000 feet. Sheriff's officials last saw the device floating south of Milliken, which is about 40 miles north of Denver.

"We were sitting eating, out looking where they normally shoot off hot air balloons. My husband said he saw something. It went over our rooftop. Then we saw the big round balloonish thing, it was spinning," said neighbor Lisa Eklund.

Additional details about the child and the balloon were not immediately available.

Just touched down.....seeing live footage on CNN (station on at airport)....

Jeepers !! I have been looking everywhere .... have they been able to locate the lil guy??? It 'appears' that he wasn't in/on the balloon.. but can't find anything that would suggest he is safe ?

Yahoo news shows he's been found in the attic above their garage. Hiding in a cardboard box.

Did anyone see this family on Wife Swap? They were peculiar. I will not be surprised if more comes out about this story. I happened to catch them on Larry King Live and they asked the little boy why he did not come out and he said he did it for the show....

I did see them on Wife Swap (I only looked them up this morning after reading your post) You are most kind to refer to them as peculiar

I am so glad that the little Guy was found and was okay, but I dare to venture that their lack of discipline with their Children has finally bitten them on the butt!!

Did anyone catch the GMA interview? The little guy got legitimately sick during the interview and the cameras just kept rolling. The family looked like sleepwalkers. I'd have cut the interview when the little boy starting vomiting and told the family to just go take care of themselves.

This sounds awfully fishy to me.

It does sound 'odd!'

Everything I have read about this makes me say hmmmmmm..... however, I must add that I have seen this Family on Wife Swap and I believe that it has tainted my opinion ...
It has been implied that the little guy is getting sick when asked a specific question, I have to be skeptical here, is he ill or is this a physical reaction??? I believe a 6 year old cannot 'generally' throw up on cue, nor 'generally' will they have a physical reaction without an underlying fear of punishment etc.... so all in all I think the media is hyping this to an 'assumed' ugly situation.

HRHPatey wrote:It does sound 'odd!'

Everything I have read about this makes me say hmmmmmm..... however, I must add that I have seen this Family on Wife Swap and I believe that it has tainted my opinion ...
It has been implied that the little guy is getting sick when asked a specific question, I have to be skeptical here, is he ill or is this a physical reaction??? I believe a 6 year old cannot 'generally' throw up on cue, nor 'generally' will they have a physical reaction without an underlying fear of punishment etc.... so all in all I think the media is hyping this to an 'assumed' ugly situation.

Having seen them on "Wife Swap" has definitely tainted my opinion of them because I remember thinking they were terrible parents and one of those kids were going to get hurt. I did not realize until last night who they were. After hearing the comment made by the little boy, I just cannot help but think there is a need to investigate the possibility of a hoax. A lot of money and resources went into that rescue effort, which is fine if it was legitimate, but they should be made to repay it if it turns out to be a hoax.

Just saw the headline for an upcoming news report: Criminal charges will be filed against balloon boy's father.

Wow! Did they say on what grounds ???

HRHPatey wrote:Wow! Did they say on what grounds ???

I don't think they know for sure yet. They have the feds involved now too since the FAA and other government agencies were involved in the rescue efforts. Mark Geragos said many charges could be filed against them, but not sure yet which ones.

I also heard on the radio this morning that the wheat field that the balloon landed in only produces once every two years. The crop was completely ruined by all of the vehicles that went through it. The farmer lost everything.

I had not heard this at all on the news over the weekend, just today on a radio talk show. I know nothing about wheat, but was surprised that it hasn't already been harvested for the year. If they did in fact cause this man to lose his entire crop, they should be made to make restitution even if they have to sell their home to do it.

As more and more is uncovered about this family, this is only the culmination of a long and "colorful" past. He is in big trouble in more ways than one.

How would you like to be famous, unbeknownst or uncontrolled by you, and for the rest of your life you will be known as "Ballon Boy"!

Will Balloon Parents keep their children?

http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,568 ... latestnews

Will 'Balloon' Parents Get to Keep Their Kids?
Monday , October 19, 2009



ADVERTISEMENTWhile authorities investigate the family accused of perpetrating the balloon boy hoax to promote a reality show, questions are being raised about whether or not the couple's three kids should be taken away.

Lee Christian, the lawyer hired by Mayumi Heene to represent her, said neither he nor his client has been contacted by authorities about whether the couple's children might be taken from them.

However, Larimer County Sheriff Jim Alderden has said child protective services was contacted to investigate the children's well-being.

The sheriff's office said its findings will be forwarded to prosecutors next week to decide if Richard and Mayumi Heene should be charged with falsely reporting that their 6-year-old child had drifted away in a large home-built helium balloon to drum up publicity for a reality TV show.

SLIDESHOW: View photos from the alleged hoax

Wendy Murphy, a former prosecutor told CBS News Monday that, "all they have to have is evidence of neglect or abuse."

"And boy, I think they've got plenty of that here," she said.

The Heenes are amateur storm chasers who apparently wanted to star in a reality show that focused on a range of absurd experiments, such as attracting UFOs with a weather balloon, launching a model rocket into space and conducting an electromagnetic analysis of a terminally ill patient's spirit before death.

Alderden said he is seeking charges against the Heenes that include conspiracy, contributing to the delinquency of a minor, making a false report to authorities and attempting to influence a public servant.

The most serious charges are felonies and carry a maximum sentence of six years in prison. Alderden said authorities would be seeking restitution for the costs, though he did not have an estimate. Alderden said the children were still with the parents and that child protective services had been contacted to investigate their well-being.

It's also possible that Heene could face federal charges because he called the Federal Aviation Administration to report his son missing in the balloon. Those charges could include lying to the federal government, a count similar to the one that sent Martha Stewart to prison in her stock-fraud case.

Once it's decided if charges will be filed, is likely when the kids' fate will be determined.

"That's when Child Protective Services is likely to get involved whether they're charged or not and we're hearing that they will, in fact, be charged," Murphy told CBS News.

The balloon spectacle was not the first time Richard Heene has run afoul of the law.

He was arrested in April 1997 and charged with three misdemeanors — vandalism, vehicle tampering and disturbing the peace, according to court documents. He pleaded no contest to vandalism and was sentenced to 30 days in jail, two years probation and ordered to pay $100 restitution, according to Frank Mateljan, a spokesman for the Los Angeles city attorney's office.

The other two charges were dropped. Mateljan said he did not know who the victim was, and no details on the case were available.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.