Sheriff says criminal charges will be filed in Balloon Saga

Criminal charges will soon be filed in the case of a 6-year-old boy who spurred a frantic search for fear he was inside a wayward helium balloon, but who was later found safe at home, officials said. The Larimer County Sheriff's department was preparing charges over the much-publicized incident. The boy's father, Richard Heene, an amateur scientist and inventor, has denied speculation Thursday's incident was a publicity stunt. We do anticipate ... there will be some criminal charges filed in respect to this incident, said Sheriff Jim Alderden, speaking to reporters in a news conference outside his office. He said initial charges would likely be a misdemeanor. A massive search-and-rescue operation and media frenzy ensued after the Heene's homemade helium balloon broke loose and drifted thousands of feet above Colorado for hours.