The modern day Jess James without the killing, Huckleberry Finn, or Frank Abagnale is an 18-year-old kid wanted by five counties in Washington. He has had a life of crime starting when he was just 12. He began and has led a consistent career in burglary. By the age of 15 "Colt" had been arrested nine times and spent time at several juvenile facilities. He was even arrested for breaking into his local school.
"Colt" dropped out of high school and spent his teens burglarizing unoccupied homes. On Camano Island a vacation community of 15,000 people off the Washington coast Colt gained the reputation as the "Barefoot Burglar" because he preferred to burglarize homes without shoes.
Over time, he moved onto more sophisticated crimes. He would break into homes, steal cars, boats and anything else he could get his hands on. He also copied down credit card info and purchased thousands of dollars worth of video games, GPS devices, and police scanners online using the stolen credit cards. This way he could get everything he wants, without the owner knowing the credit card has been stolen.
Throughout his career of squatting homes he has also survived in the woods. He’s even been described by Detective Ed Wallace as "a feral child," because he hides in trees. He was captured, arrested, and plead guilty in 2007 but in less than a year he was released and back in the game.
After he was released police began receiving reports that thefts were happening that fit the "barefoot burglar" profile. In 2008 police came close to catching him until he dove out of a stolen moving vehicle. After the incident police were able to recover a stolen digital camera in the abandoned car that had a picture of Harris-Moore on it.
Even though he is still on the loose he is facing 10 counts in that case, along with other thefts, internet crimes and burglaries. He dropped out of sight on the island for a while, but then police were getting notices of similar break-ins in the San Juan Islands. Police believed he was island hopping. Then Wallace received word of a theft of a Cessna 182 from the San Juan islands last November. Then he remembered seeing on Harris-Moore’s computer that he had looked at flight manuals and how to fly a plane.
After the incident a small experimental plane went missing and authorities believe Harris-Moore is responsible. Although he hasn’t been charged in these plane thefts, authorities are testing vomit found in the cockpit of one of the stolen planes to see if it matches the teen. Even though this "barefoot burglar" never took flight training, police are positive he’s the mystery pilot.
It’s difficult to teach yourself to fly but it isn’t unheard of. Apparently it wouldn’t be difficult to fly the plane if he wasn’t too worried about landing it or reusing it. Just last week he stole a boat and used it to reach Point Roberts where he burglarized three vacation homes. Then he stole another plane from Bonner’s Ferry, Idaho. The plane was out of fuel but he crashed it and ditched it.
Then police received notice of a burglary in Granite Falls, Washington The only things missing were "blankets, shoes, and food." Police decided to search the woods but a shot rang out. No one was injured but the SWAT team did respond. Police searched the area using an infrared heat detection scanner and another Blackhawk helicopter provided by the Department of Homeland Defense.
Harris-Moore has a knack for eluding police and other law enforcement officials. Not only has he escaped detection and arrest, but he survives these planes that he crashes and ditches. Although he may have a more difficult time now that the FBI is involved because he took stolen property across state lines and that’s a federal offense.
Tags: burglarizing homes, elude police, stealing, stealing planes, teenage crime spree, teenagers and crime
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