NASSAU, Bahamas — For two years, he stayed a step ahead of the law — stealing cars, powerboats and even airplanes, police say, while building a reputation as a 21st-century folk hero. On Sunday, Colton Harris-Moore’s celebrity became his downfall.
Witnesses on the Bahamian island of Eleuthera recognized the 19-year-old dubbed the “Barefoot Bandit” and called police, who captured him after a high-speed boat chase, Bahamas Police Commissioner Ellison Greenslade said at a celebratory news conference in Nassau, the capital.
Greenslade said shots were fired during the water chase, but he did not say who fired them. He also said Harris-Moore was carrying a handgun that he tried to throw away.
Another senior police official, however, said police fired to disable the motor on the suspect’s stolen boat and that Harris-Moore threw his gun into the water. The official, who spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to discuss the case, also said police recovered a laptop and a GPS locator from the suspect.
Bahamas prosecution first
Police flew Harris-Moore in shackles to Nassau. True to his nickname, the teen with close- shorn hair was shoeless as he walked off the plane wearing camouflage cargo pants, a white long-sleeve shirt and a bulletproof vest.
Harris-Moore is blamed for several thefts in the Bahamas in the week since he allegedly crash-landed a stolen plane there, and Bahamian authorities said he will be prosecuted for those crimes before the start of any U.S. extradition proceedings.
The 6-foot-5-inch Harris-Moore had been on the run since escaping from a Washington state halfway house in 2008. He is accused of breaking into dozens of homes and committing burglaries across Washington, as well as in British Columbia and Idaho.
He is also suspected of stealing at least five planes — including the aircraft he allegedly lifted in Indiana and flew more than 1,000 miles to the Bahamas, despite a lack of formal flight training.
Through it all, his ranks of supporters grew. Some of his more than 60,000 Facebook fans posted disappointed messages Sunday, while others promoted T-shirts and tote bags with the words “Free Colton!” and “Let Colton Fly!”
Troubled childhood
Harris-Moore is a skilled outdoorsman who honed his abilities growing up in the woods of Camano Island in Puget Sound, about 30 miles north of Seattle.
Harris-Moore’s mother, Pam Kohler, has said he had a troubled childhood. His first conviction, for possession of stolen property, came at age 12. Within a few months of turning 13, he had three more.
Kohler has defended her son, saying the allegations against him are exaggerated. She previously told The Associated Press that she hoped he would flee to a country that doesn’t have an extradition treaty with the U.S.
Reached early Sunday at her Camano home, Kohler said she had heard the news about the arrest but had no comment.
Emily Langlie, a spokeswoman for the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Seattle, said that once Harris-Moore faces charges in the Bahamas, her office would seek to extradite him to Washington state and coordinate with local jurisdictions about how his case would proceed.
