"Barefoot Bandit" Colton Harris-Moore Captured in the Bahamas, Say Police

By: Kevin Hayes
Topics: Daily Blotter

Plane allegedly crash-landed by Colton Harris-Moore in the Bahamas (CBS)

NASSAU, Bahamas (CBS/AP) Colton Harris-Moore, "The Barefoot Bandit," has been captured in the Bahamas a week after his alleged crash-landing of a stolen plane there, say police.

PICTURES: Barefoot Bandit on the Run

A police official, who spoke on condition of anonymity, says the 19-year-old was arrested Sunday morning on the northern island of Eleuthera.

The official said police expect to fly Harris-Moore from Eleuthera to Nassau, the capital of the island chain off the Florida coast.

Harris-Moore has allegedly committed several nighttime burglaries in the Bahamas, and had previously eluded an FBI-aided manhunt on Great Abaco Island, the sliver of an island where he apparently crash-landed the stolen plane.

In the U.S., Harris-Moore has become a folk hero with a fan club hawking T-shirts emblazoned with his image, songs about his exploits and tens of thousands of followers on Facebook.

He has been on the run from American law enforcement since escaping from a Washington state halfway house in 2008.

Complete "Barefoot Bandit" Coverage on Crimesider.

7 Photos

Barefoot Bandit on the Run

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by rwsmith29456 July 11, 2010 10:57 PM EDT: He's no hero to me. He's just a plain crook no matter how daring and dashing he is.; Reply to this comment


by mick7744 July 11, 2010 3:06 PM EDT: For his many acts of larceny, he should receive the appropriate custodial sentence.

For intentionally trapping himself on a tiny Island chain, HE SHOULD BE PUBLICLY SPANKED!; Reply to this comment

by Skruffy1 July 11, 2010 3:00 PM EDT

Folk hero, eh? Kinda tells ya where we are as a society. Yeah, give him a TV show of his own.

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by book_of_wally July 12, 2010 11:46 AM EDT: Dillinger was a folk hero.

by enough-already July 11, 2010 1:33 PM EDT

by mlmae July 11, 2010 12:45 PM EDT
I would never see it. Why would we make a movie glorifying some idiot kid for his crime spree?

mlmae: Go watch the movie with Leonardo DiCaprio and Tom Hanks "Catch Me If You Can". I'm sure that's where this scoff-law got his ideas. A lot of Americans seem to be brainwashed to believe that people who can break the law and get away with it, without killing anyone, are good examples and should be admired. Is this a sign of a sick society, or what?

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by pak31 July 11, 2010 6:12 PM EDT: His own mother is proud of his actions.


by kmrunner122 July 11, 2010 1:31 PM EDT: Movie deals, book rights, talk show appearances, he'll be out of jail in a couple years as a multi-millionaire. Crime does pay, just ask Bernie Madoff's family who will be rich beyond belief forever since he cut a deal so the feds won't go after his family.; Reply to this comment


by MilitaryRetiree July 11, 2010 11:28 AM EDT: The more I look at this kid's picture, the more certain I become that it was him who approached me at a Flying J Truckstop on Interstate 4 in Seffner, back in early May. The kid who approached me was wearing a baseball cap and tried to get me to give him some money, saying that he was headed for his grandmother's in Lakeland, and that his truck was out of gas. I finally convinced him to start walking. But the photo looks familiar.; Reply to this comment


by tsigili July 11, 2010 11:16 AM EDT: Took long enough.; Reply to this comment


by Chris_VA July 11, 2010 11:10 AM EDT: So, does he have to serve time in the Bahamas for his crimes there, before coming here to serve the rest of his concurrent sentences?

I agree; all proceeds from any "entertainment revenue" should go to the victims.

BTW - just about anyone could take off and fly a plane with no training. The tricky part is landing the plane, which he never seemed to get the hang of...; Reply to this comment


by aubfmet July 11, 2010 11:10 AM EDT: Lets hope that his punishment is enough to discourage any followers. Would you like any suggestions?; Reply to this comment


by lilbear925 July 11, 2010 10:40 AM EDT: The Bahamian authorities are more adept at apprehending "low tech" criminals, since their environment is definitely different from the mainland US. The do have an extradition policy, but will certainly want to try this young scofflaw there before handing him over to US authorities. This time, however, I imagine he will be placed in a more secure environment, hopefully in a location where escape and evasion will be much more difficult, since he will want to try it again and again.; Reply to this comment