1 ARM, PLENTY ‘HARM’
‘127 Hrs.’ hero held in abuse
THE ONE-ARMED outdoorsman who inspired the movie “127 Hours” has been arrested on domestic violence charges in Colorado.
Aron Ralston, 38, who cut off his forearm to free himself from a boulder in 2003, was busted Saturday night in Denver at the home of a 38-year-old woman, police said.
Cops released few details on Ralston’s arrest, saying only that he’s been charged with assault and “wrongs to minors.”
Vita Shannon, the woman who lives at the home where Ralston was collared, was arrested on the same charges, according to the Denver Post.
It was unclear Sunday what Shannon’s relationship is to Ralston, the married father of a 2-year-old son.
Ralston remained in custody Sunday night. Under Colorado law, a suspect in a domestic violence case cannot be bailed out of jail until he appears in court.
Ralston is scheduled to appear in Denver County Court on Monday afternoon.
Shannon has only been living in the Denver home for about six months, said the previous owner, an 82-year-old woman who requested anonymity.
The former owner said Ralston was initially involved in buying the house with Shannon, but bailed out of the deal.
“I know she has a baby y because ecause when I met her at the closing she was pregnant,” the previous owner told the Daily News. “She was very nice.”
The woman said she never met Ralston but is familiar with his story.
“It shocked me,” she said of the arrest. “I hope it’s nothing serious. You have to admire him and what he went through.”
Ralston was hiking alone in southeastern Utah’s Bluejohn Canyon when an 800-pound boulder dislodged and fell on his arm. He was trapped for five days and seven hours before freeing himself by cutting off his right forearm with a pocket knife.
He turned his incredible survivor story into the best-seller “Between a Rock and a Hard Place.”
“How would I behave in a situation that caused me to summon the essence of my character? The tragedy inspired me to test myself,” Ralston wrote in his book.
“I wanted to reveal to myself who I was: the kind of person who died, or the kind of person who overcame circumstances to help himself and others.”
The book was turned into the 2010 film “127 Hours” by Academy Award-winning director Danny Boyle. It starred actor James Franco as Ralston.