Charges Against ‘127 Hours’ Hiker Aron Ralston Dismissed

Aron Ralston has escaped assault charges. The hiker who inspired the film “127 Hours” was arrested on assault and “wrongs to minors” charges on Sunday, but the charges against him have now been dropped.

On Monday, a Denver judge dismissed the charges against the 38-year-old adventurer.

Mr Ralston and his girlfriend Vita Shannon were arrested at her residence late Sunday night, with each facing one count of assault and one count of wrongs to minors. While Mr Ralston’s charges were dropped, Ms Shannon’s remained.

She is also now facing a third charge, disturbing the peace, which was added during the hearing. She pleaded not guilty to all three charges. Her bond is set at $550.

If convicted, Ms Shannon, 38, could receive a year in prison and be fined with up to $999 per charge.

As the Denver Post reported, Mr Ralston told police that Ms Shannon hit him twice in the back of the head with her fists while they were arguing. The girlfriend, on the other hand, claimed that Mr Ralston shoved her on the shoulder as he left her home.

Their infant daughter was present during the fight, which might perhaps explain the “wrongs to minors” charge.

His father, Larry Ralston, doesn’t believe that his son hit his girlfriend or their daughter.

“There apparently was some type of heated argument, police got involved, charges and counter charges were filed,” he was quoted by the Denver Post as saying. “This is just two people trying to work out a difficult relationship.”

Mr Ralston is known for his autobiography “Between a Rock and a Hard Place,” in which he detailed his harrowing experience being trapped between boulders at the Blue John Canyon in Utah in 2003. His right hand was pinned against the canyon wall, forcing him to spend five days suspended inside a slot canyon.

He was able to break free by amputating his arm with a dull knife.

The 2010 Academy Award-nominated film “127 Hours” chronicled his experience. His character was played by James Franco, who was nominated for Best Actor for the role.

He married Jessica Trusty in 2009. They have a child together, son Leo, who was born in February 2010. It’s unclear if he is still together with his wife.