Heene Kids Were Often Put in Danger, Says Business Partner

Now Safe, 6-Year-Old Was Hiding in the Attic, but Child Safety Experts Say Parents Need to Be More 'Vigilant'

By SUSAN DONALDSON JAMES and EMILY FRIEDMAN
Abc News

Richard Heene, the father of a missing 6-year-old who was found hiding at his Colorado home today after authorities believed he'd ascended in an untethered balloon, often put his children in danger, a former business partner said.

The story had a happy ending, but child safety experts said the incident underscored the vigilance parents must exercise to keep children safe and avoid tragedy.

Heene, a "storm chaser," loved science but would often put his children at risk, said the father's friend and former research partner, Barbara Slusser.

Slusser worked with Scott Stevens and Heene -- the father of Falcon Heene, 6, and two older boys, Bradford and Ryo -- at the Science Detective Research Group in Fort Collins, Colo.

"He loves those kids dearly, but part of the reason my co-host Scott and I split from him is because we felt Heene put his kids in the line of fire a bit too much," Slusser said.

"The last straw for us was when Hurricane Gustav and Hurricane Ike were heading toward the Texas coastline and Heene wanted to go back there and take the kids," she said. Read more...