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(CNN) -- After scouring northern Colorado by foot and air, frantically chasing a now-infamous Mylar balloon for dozens of miles and interviewing his big brother over and over, local and federal authorities ended their search for 6-year-old Falcon Heene where it began -- at his house.

He was in a box. In the attic. The whole time.

"I played with my toys and took a nap," Falcon told a group of reporters outside his home Thursday afternoon.

"He says he was hiding in the attic," said Falcon's father, meteorologist Richard Heene, clutching his son. "He says it's because I yelled at him. I'm sorry I yelled at him."

But in a later interview with CNN's "Larry King Live," Falcon said he heard his parents call for him from the garage. When asked by his father on-air why he didn't respond, the boy replied, "You guys said we did this for the show."

When Heene was pressed by Wolf Blitzer, who was filling in for King, to explain what his son meant, he became uncomfortable, finally saying he was "appalled" by the questions. He added that Falcon was likely referring to all the media coverage.

Authorities say they believe the case, which launched search efforts by the Colorado Air National Guard and Federal Aviation Administration, was genuine.

Heene told reporters earlier that the family was working on the balloon, what he called a "3D low-altitude vehicle," and they were in the "early stages of the invention" when the balloon and the boy went missing.

The situation grabbed the world's attention early Thursday afternoon, after authorities reported that the experimental helium balloon was set adrift and the 6-year-old apparently was riding in it. His brother had said he watched Falcon get into the balloon before he untied the tethers, setting it free. Heene later said Falcon was videotaped getting into the vessel by his brother, but "obviously he got out."

Rescuers from several counties followed the saucer-like vessel, and the FAA tried to track it until the balloon made a soft landing some 50 miles away in a field.

Officials rushed to the scene, smacking the metallic balloon until it deflated. They looked inside -- no Falcon.

At that point, there were two possibilities: Either Falcon never got in the balloon, or he fell out. After reports that a box possibly carrying Falcon might have fallen off the balloon, authorities feared the worst.

But a little while later, he turned up at home.

Larimer County Sheriff James Alderden said it's not uncommon for children to seek cover when they realize they're the subject of a massive search. "They hide because they think they are in trouble."

"What was confusing was the eyewitness who said (Falcon) climbed into the apparatus, which was not the case," Alderden said, referring to the boy's brother.

The sheriff said the brother was interviewed several times by investigators and that he was "consistent" with his story.

Earlier, the falling-box scenario prompted a widening search.

A Weld County sheriff's deputy had said he saw an object fall from the balloon somewhere over Platteville, Colorado, which is in the search area. There was no box attached when the balloon made a soft landing at 1:35 p.m. (3:35 p.m. ET).

The widespread worries prompted the Colorado Air National Guard to deploy a UH 60 Black Hawk helicopter, with plans to launch a second one, equipped with night vision, if necessary.

The search, which initially focused on Weld County, covered "the entire flight plan, from the Fort Collins area down to the Denver International Airport area," Col. Mark Riccardi said.

Falcon's parents, science enthusiasts Richard and Mayumi Heene, were featured on the 100th episode of ABC's prime-time program "Wife Swap" in March 2009, ABC said.

According to the network's Web site, the Heene family "devote their time to scientific experiments that include looking for extraterrestrials and building a research-gathering flying saucer to send into the eye of the storm."

Richard Heene is a meteorologist and former television weatherman who has submitted to CNN iReports accounts of his sons helping him chase Hurricane Gustav, among other contributions.

Marc Friedland, the family's next-door neighbor, said he left his house about 11 a.m. Thursday for a walk and found Richard Heene working on the giant balloon in the backyard.

"Basically, the whole family was out there, and they were working with it," he said. "When I came back is when I found out that the event happened."

He said the aircraft was intended to hover about 20 feet in the air and was not intended to carry people. "Obviously, something went wrong with that."

Friedland described his neighbors for the past year as "a great family."

"They're unusual, yes, of course. He's sort of a scientist slash inventor. They're storm chasers -- they go after tornadoes, hurricanes, things like that."

The family had been working on the aircraft for only a couple of weeks, he said.

About Falcon, Friedland said, "He's a great kid. We see him a lot, and they come over and they're always friendly."

The Larimer County Sheriff's Office said the balloon had been tethered to the family's home in Fort Collins.

Once untethered, the saucer-like craft flew eastward from the Heenes' neighborhood, though officials couldn't immediately confirm how fast it was going.

Authorities said the silver balloon, 20-feet long and 5-feet high, at times reached 7,000 feet above the ground while adrift.

(CNN) -- Authorities in Colorado say criminal charges are expected to be filed against Richard Heene, a storm-chasing father whose giant Mylar balloon ascended into the sky earlier this week, sparking fears that his 6-year-old was aboard.

"We do anticipate at some point in the future, there will be some criminal charges filed with regards to this incident," Larimer County Sheriff Jim Alderden said.

The saga captured the nation's attention early Thursday afternoon, after authorities reported the family's homemade helium balloon was set adrift, apparently with young Falcon Heene inside.

Since then, speculation has mounted over whether the incident was a hoax by the father, who has appeared with his family on ABC's "Wife Swap," and posted videos of storm chasing and other activities online.

Earlier Saturday, in an impromptu press conference outside his home, Heene told reporters the runaway balloon incident was "absolutely no hoax."

The incident prompted a widespread search in northern Colorado that included law enforcement from several counties, the Federal Aviation Administration and the Colorado National Guard.

It ended when Falcon climbed down from the attic above the garage at the family's Fort Collins, Colorado, home.

If the incident was a hoax, the only charge local authorities could press would be making a false report to authorities -- a Class 3 misdemeanor, Alderden told reporters Saturday.

However, a misdemeanor "hardly seems serious enough given the circumstances," the sheriff said.

"We certainly want to talk to FAA officials and federal officials to see if perhaps there aren't additional federal charges that would be more appropriate in the circumstances than what we're able to do locally," he said.

He said further details would be disclosed Sunday morning, and that neither Richard nor Mayumi Heene, who came in voluntarily Saturday, was under arrest.

The couple emerged Saturday evening from the sheriff's office after several hours of interviews with investigators.

"I was talking to the sheriff's department just now to further things along," Richard Heene told reporters outside the building. "We're doing well."

He refused to take questions before the couple drove away in their minivan.

Earlier Saturday, Heene emerged from his house and offered a cardboard box for the media to submit questions.

"I got people e-mailing me, calling me; they've got a lot of questions, and I don't know how to quite frankly answer any of them other than I've got a box," Heene said around 10 a.m.

He said he'd answer the questions later Saturday night.

"I'm going to place the box up front. Please write your questions down," he said. "I have no idea what the news are saying. I don't have cable."

Speculation began to mount over whether the incident was staged after the family appeared on CNN's "Larry King Live" on Thursday night.

Heene asked Falcon why he had not come out from hiding when his parents were calling for him.

"You guys said we did this for the show," the boy said.

Heene said his son was confused when he made the "show" remark. There were media assembled on the front lawn asking all sorts of questions, and that's what Falcon was referring to, Heene said.

Alderden said Friday that -- based on reports that the parents "took these children into potentially dangerous situations" with tornado chases, the experimental balloons and other activities -- it would be "appropriate to involve child protection [services] to at least see what the family situation is and whether the children are in a safe condition."

Earlier, the sheriff told reporters his department contacted child protection officials but asked them not to contact the family until investigators had a chance to re-interview them.

Mom admits to "Balloon Boy" hoax: court record
Fri Oct 23, 2009 7:34pm EDT


DENVER (Reuters) - The mother of a Colorado boy thought to be aboard a homemade helium balloon has admitted to investigators the whole thing was a hoax, according to a court document made public on Friday.

The local sheriff had already said the October 15 "Balloon Boy" incident was a publicity stunt and expected felony charges to be filed against the 6-year-old boy's parents, Richard and Mayumi Heene.

The live television images of the silver saucer-like balloon soaring through the Colorado skies captivated audiences until the boy turned up in the family's attic. Public sympathy turned to outrage when the family's account began to unravel.

According to a copy of a search warrant affidavit posted on the website of Fort Collins newspaper "The Coloradoan," Mayumi told investigators she and her husband lied to authorities and knew their son Falcon was at home as rescue teams tracked the balloon believing the boy was inside.

"The motive for the fabricated story was to make the Heene family more marketable for future media interest," the affidavit states.

The document also says the Heenes, who had starred in the reality television show "Wife Swap," had devised the hoax about two weeks before and had instructed their three children to lie to authorities and the media.