'Balloon boy' incident was hoax, sheriff says

This case was really intriguing to me because I caught it as it happened early Thursday afternoon. CNN had state that a 6-year-old boy had floated away in his parents "storm chaser" balloon after the tether was mysteriously untied. It floated miles away from the home as the country watched in horror at the thought of seeing a young boy stranded inside this "UFO-esque" contraption.

Now the sheriff is stating that after interviewing the family again in addition to the recent statement made by the missing boy that this was indeed a hoax by the family in hopes of gaining publicity for a possible chance of getting a reality show in the future.

I found this development disappointing because this family fooled the entire nation into believing their son was in immense danger when in fact he wasn't. What I also found interesting was the claim made by the police that they had intentionally went with the Heene family's story in order to figure out just what their son was as well as their motive behind planning this.

The sheriff did mention that the family will be charged with a "felony including conspiracy, contributing to the delinquency of a minor and attempting to influence a public servant, Alderden said. They also plan to recommend a charge of filing a false police report, which is a misdemeanor."

The parents wouldn't face jail time as the sheriff stated that space was better reserved for individuals who have committed more serious crimes.