Balloon boy mother admits hoax

Oct 24, 2009, 15:11 GMT

Los Angeles - The mother who reported that her 6-year-old boy had taken off in a hot-air balloon has admitted to authorities that the incident was a hoax that she and her husband planned two weeks in advance, the Denver Post reported Friday.

The admission was contained in an affidavit released by Larimer County Sheriff Jim Alderden.

The document stated that the boy's mother, Mayumi Heene, told authorities two days after the balloon flight that she and her husband knew all along that their son, Falcon, was hiding in the home and not in the balloon.

The mother said the stunt was intended to make the family more marketable for future media interest, including television reality shows. She said the flying saucer-shaped balloon had been made specifically for the hoax and that her three children had been told to lie to authorities and media about the ruse.

The October 15 incident captured the attention of news media around the world after the Heenes told authorities that the boy was onboard the silver, flying-saucer-shaped balloon. When it landed in a field 80 kilometres away, the balloon was empty, and Falcon Heene was found three hours later and told officials he had been hiding in the attic of the garage.

No charges have yet been filed in the case.