Plane is stolen, notorious teen may be back
ORCAS ISLAND, Wash. - A notorious 18-year-old fugitive may be back on Orcas Island, business leaders there say, after a stolen plane was found abandoned there and a grocery was broken into overnight.
Colton Harris-Moore, also known as the "Barefoot Bandit," has a long history of burglarizing homes in Washington state and Canada, only to disappear into the woods without a trace.
Police suspect he's stolen planes, boats and luxury cars, and broken into dozens of homes and businesses.
Since September, when news broke that Harris-Moore allegedly has started stealing airplanes, the elusive teen gained attention from news networks and on the Web.
T-shirts were made, featuring Moore's self-portrait. A Facebook fan page has attracted nearly 17,000 people.
After the most recent spree Wednesday night, the Orcas Island Chamber of Commerce sent a message to all members warning them to take precautionary measures.
The message said, in part: "If you haven't heard yet, it appears Colton Harris-Moore (the so-called Barefoot Bandit) is back on Orcas Island.
"An airplane taken from Skagit County was found abandoned at the Eastsound Airport this morning, and Homegrown Market & Deli was broken into, with lots of damage to internal security systems."
The San Juan County Sheriff's office told the chamber it is investigating both events, but cannot confirm who is responsible at this time.
However, the sheriff told business owners to take precautions in case Harris-Moore is back.
In 2007, Harris-Moore was arrested in connection with several burglaries on Camano Island and later sentenced to three years behind bars. He escaped from group home for juvenile offenders in Renton in April 2008.
Harris-Moore is suspected in some 50 burglaries on Camano Island since he escaped from a halfway house in Renton last year. He's accused of stealing boats in the San Juan Islands, as well as stealing and crashing a small plane near Mount Vernon.
Colton Harris-Moore, also known as the "Barefoot Bandit," has a long history of burglarizing homes in Washington state and Canada, only to disappear into the woods without a trace.
Police suspect he's stolen planes, boats and luxury cars, and broken into dozens of homes and businesses.
Since September, when news broke that Harris-Moore allegedly has started stealing airplanes, the elusive teen gained attention from news networks and on the Web.
T-shirts were made, featuring Moore's self-portrait. A Facebook fan page has attracted nearly 17,000 people.
After the most recent spree Wednesday night, the Orcas Island Chamber of Commerce sent a message to all members warning them to take precautionary measures.
The message said, in part: "If you haven't heard yet, it appears Colton Harris-Moore (the so-called Barefoot Bandit) is back on Orcas Island.
"An airplane taken from Skagit County was found abandoned at the Eastsound Airport this morning, and Homegrown Market & Deli was broken into, with lots of damage to internal security systems."
The San Juan County Sheriff's office told the chamber it is investigating both events, but cannot confirm who is responsible at this time.
However, the sheriff told business owners to take precautions in case Harris-Moore is back.
In 2007, Harris-Moore was arrested in connection with several burglaries on Camano Island and later sentenced to three years behind bars. He escaped from group home for juvenile offenders in Renton in April 2008.
Harris-Moore is suspected in some 50 burglaries on Camano Island since he escaped from a halfway house in Renton last year. He's accused of stealing boats in the San Juan Islands, as well as stealing and crashing a small plane near Mount Vernon.
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