{"id":255401,"date":"2023-01-24T14:26:27","date_gmt":"2023-01-24T20:26:27","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.casino.org\/news\/?p=255401"},"modified":"2023-01-24T18:04:57","modified_gmt":"2023-01-25T00:04:57","slug":"stolen-hot-air-balloon-recovered-in-las-vegas","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.casino.org\/news\/stolen-hot-air-balloon-recovered-in-las-vegas\/","title":{"rendered":"Vegas Balloon Ride Inflates Security After Recent Hot Air Theft"},"content":{"rendered":"

On Tuesday, a \u201chot\u201d hot air balloon \u2013 stolen from the Vegas Balloon Rides company a day earlier \u2013 was recovered in a vacant lot. The 16-passenger balloon is the largest in the company\u2019s fleet, reaching nearly 15 stories when inflated.<\/p>\n

\"Vegas
One of Vegas Ballon Rides’ hot air balloons soars above the city. The Vegas Strip is seen on the horizon. The company depends on its largest inflatable to keep the company afloat. (Image: tripadvisor.com)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

In the wee hours on Monday, the balloon, worth $175K, was taken from the flatbed trailer it was stored on. The stolen property included a passenger basket and a 400-pound tank of flammable liquid propane.<\/p>\n

The discovery of the balloon comes as a huge relief to Vegas Balloon Rides. According to company co-owner J.J. Padro Allende, it kept the business afloat. And the timing of the theft threatened Valentine\u2019s Day, the company\u2019s busiest season.<\/p>\n

A lot of us depend on this,\u201d<\/strong> Allende told KLAS-TV.<\/em> \u201cThis is our livelihood.\u201d<\/strong><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Vegas Balloon Rides co-owner Jean Francois Rigollet told KLAS <\/em>he expected the balloon to be dumped \u201cin the desert or a small street somewhere.\u201d<\/p>\n

A hot air balloon \u2013 especially one emblazoned with a logo \u2013 isn\u2019t something that can ever be flown unnoticed. And, at 800 lbs., it\u2019s not something that can easily be shipped to a winning eBay bidder.<\/p>\n

The company says it plans to increase its security with better lighting, cameras, and tracking devices.<\/p>\n

New Heights of Thievery<\/h2>\n

Believe it or not, hot-air balloon theft is a thing. In October, a \u201cJoelly Bee\u201d balloon was stolen from the parking lot of a hotel by the Albuquerque International Sunport \u2013 along with the double-door trailer it was stored in and the Chevy truck towing it. In 2019, a hot air balloon was stolen from Bloomington, Ind.<\/p>\n

In both cases, the balloons were retrieved. The \u201cJoelly Bee\u201d was tracked to a nearby Albuquerque residence via an iPad left inside the truck by a crew chief.<\/p>\n

\n

The stolen Indiana balloon was spotted and seized a week later at The Villages Hot Air Balloon Festival at the Florida Horse Park in Summerfield. According to the Marion County Sheriff\u2019s office, the owner didn\u2019t want to press charges; he just wanted his hot air balloon back.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

Vegas Balloon Rides is one of four companies providing the same service to Sin City. The others are Las Vegas Balloon Rides, Love is in the Air Ballooning, and Adventure Balloons.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

On Tuesday, a \u201chot\u201d hot air balloon \u2013 stolen from the Vegas Balloon Rides company a day earlier \u2013 was recovered in a vacant lot. The 16-passenger balloon is the largest in the company\u2019s fleet, reaching nearly 15 stories when inflated. In the wee hours on Monday, the balloon, worth $175K, was taken from the […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":78,"featured_media":255403,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[81886],"tags":[84699,84701,84700,23,84110],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\nVegas Balloon Ride Inflates Security After Recent Hot Air Theft - Casino.org<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"On Tuesday, a \u201chot\u201d hot air balloon \u2013 stolen from the Vegas Balloon Rides company a day earlier \u2013 was recovered in a vacant lot. 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