Balloon Boy lets air out <br/>of hoax tale

Six-year-old blurts out during a TV interview that his family pretended he was carried off in a hot air balloon in order to gain publicityA family who pretended their six-year-old son was carried off in a hot air balloon cooked up the hoax in an Hot air: Falcon Keene was hiding in the attic the whole time he was thought to be aboard the hot-air balloon. pic/afpeffort to get their own TV show. But the stunt began to implode when Falcon was asked by his dad on Larry King Live why he stayed in hiding. He said, You guys said that, um, we did this for a show.Police revealed that Richard and Mayumi Heene pretended young Falcon was in the balloon because they hoped the publicity would turn them into stars.Sheriff Jim Alderden said, It has been determined that this is a hoax, that it was a publicity stunt. We believe we have evidence to indicate this was a publicity stunt in hopes to better market themselves for a reality show.Sheriff Alderden added, On the bizarre meter this rates a 10. Richard and Mayumi, who have three children, face criminal charges. They will voluntarily surrender to authorities as soon as charges are filed, according to their lawyer.Millions of viewers watched the drama unfold on Thursday after the silver flying saucershaped balloon became detached from its mooring in the Heenes' garden, apparently with Falcon on board.Safe at homeThe seemingly frantic parents raised the alarm and cameras followed the balloon as it floated across the skies of Colorado. But when it finally landed it was found to be empty. Falcon was discovered in the attic of his home, where his mum and dad claimed he hid without them knowing.Richard denied accusations of a publicity stunt. He and his wife face charges of conspiracy, contributing to the delinquency of a minor and filing a false report.