‘Barefoot Bandit’ caught in Bahamas

The Island police have been searching for him since he allegedly crash-landed a stolen plane a week ago on nearby Great Abaco Island. Harris-Moore,who has been running from American law enforcement since escaping from a Washington state halfway house in 2008,gained fame and thousands of fans who admired his ability to evade arrest.

He is suspected of stealing cars,boats and at least five planes — including the aircraft he stole in Indiana and flew to the islands off Florida’s coast,despite a lack of formal flight training. The 19-year-old is a skilled outdoorsman who honed his abilities growing up in the woods of Camano Island north of Seattle.

The Island police picked up his trail in Eleuthera after recovering a 44-foot power boat stolen from Abaco,65 km to the north,where he was suspected in a string of burglaries. Burglary victims in Eleuthera said on Saturday they had little doubt the lanky,6-foot,5-inch fugitive was on the island.

Harris-Moore’s first conviction,for possession of stolen property,came at age 12. Within months of turning 13,he had three more. He was sentenced to nearly four years in juvenile detention after being caught in an unoccupied home in 2007. He was then transferred to a group home,where he sneaked out of a window over two years ago.

He was dubbed the “Barefoot Bandit” for allegedly going shoeless during some crimes and once allegedly leaving behind chalk footprints as a calling card. He has become a folk hero to supporters,who have bought “Run,Colton,Run” T-shirts and written songs about his exploits. He has tens of thousands of followers on Facebook.