'Barefoot Bandit' Colton Harris-Moore Arrested In the Bahamas (Updated)
One of the greatest fugitives of our time, 19-year-old Colton Harris-Moore, the "Barefoot Bandit," has reportedly been arrested in the Bahamas, where he is said to have crash landed a small plane. A two year odyssey has ended. (Updated)
Authorities in the Bahamas have been tracking Harris-Moore since they found a small plane on Great Abaco Island last week. He was reportedly picked up early this morning on the island of Eleuthera, after police there found a 44-foot power boat that had been stolen from another island. Local boat captains reported seeing a teenage boy swimming and hanging around in the woods on the island. Later they found the ignitions to three boats damaged, and a bar at the harbor had been broken into. The manager of Coakley's International Sporting Lounge on the island said the remote controls for the television had been moved: "He was watching television. He was just chilling."
Nicknamed the "Barefoot Bandit" because he liked to go shoeless while stealing cars, boats and airplanes, Harris-Moore once left a chalk outline of his feet for his pursuers. He has been in trouble with the law steadily since age 12, when he was convicted of possessing stolen property. Harris-Moore has been on the run for the last two years, after he left a halfway house outside of Seattle. He had no formal flight training, yet managed to steal and fly planes. A timeline of his exploits can be seen here.
The outpouring of support on a Facebook fanpage set up for Harris-Moore has been great, and the news of his capture saddened many. We will update throughout the day as the details of this sad turn of events become clear. Authorities in the Bahamas are expected to hold a press conference later.
Update: According to CNN, Harris-Moore was apprehended after a high speed boat chase and was seen carrying a gun. He ran past a man on a dock and said "They're going to kill me."