Police are to file criminal charges against family members involved in Colorado's runaway balloon saga, law enforcement sources confirmed Saturday. Larimer County Sheriff Jim Alderden told reporters that officers were preparing search warrants and drawing up charges against Richard Heene and unidentified members of his family.
Alderden did not specify what charges were likely to be issued against Heene, who underwent a day of further questioning by police on Saturday amid suspicions that the event could have been a hoax. Police were initially convinced Heene and his family were telling the truth about the circumstances of Thursday's drama, when Heene's six-year-old son, Falcon, was thought to have floated away in a home-made balloon.
The story dominated cable television broadcasts for several hours as millions tuned in to watch the drama unfold. However police now appear to believe the event was a hoax. Alderden said "significant progress" had been made during Saturday's interviews with Heene and his Japanese-born wife Mayumi.