The barefoot robber - troubled youth, criminal or hero?

Eighteen-year-old Colton Harris-Moore, most commonly known as the 'barefoot robber,' is wanted by the Island Police, the RCMP,and the FBI. His mother describes him as a non-violent caring person who wants to open a shelter for abused animals.

The young man, reportedly a troubled youth who allegedly started stealing as a young teenager, has attained notoriety as Washington state's premiere wanted man, eluding police for over a year. He had been in detention in 2008, but escaped and has been eluding the police ever since. Harris-Moore is now wanted in Canada and the United States and has the RCMP and the FBI wanting to detain him. Harris-Moore has a Facebook fan club with over 6,000 members. He also has a ballad written about him, and now there is a t-shirt memorializing the young man, and apparently sales of the tees are hot, hot, hot. There are rumours that a documentary on the 18-year-old may be coming to a theatre near you. The young man is thought to be hiding in the wilds of Washington state, although his mother recently told a radio personality that he was staying with a family. Revered by a youth following for outwitting the police, Harris-Moore is not so favoured by his reputed victims. He is described as a serial burglar, but has gained infamy for allegedly stealing at least two boats, a few cars and three planes, which he is presumed to have taught himself to fly. All three planes suffered crash landings. Harris-Moore is also accused of having shot at police, which generated a massive man-hunt involving helicopters at the beginning of October. Allegedly the young man has committed at least 50 burglaries, and he has been characterized as a "sloppy thief" because of the evidence left behind. At the same time, police say Harris-Moore is excellent at "stealth" escapes. Pam Kohler, Harris-Moore's mother, describes her son as a non-violent caring person who wants to open a shelter for abused animals. "He's not a bad guy," she told radio host, Dave Ross. Kohler told Ross she plans to write a book about her son. She was interviewed by Dave Ross on October 8. Kohler is proud of her son, telling the press

"I hope to hell he stole those airplanes -- I would be so proud. But put in there that I want him to wear a parachute next time."

Harris-Moore was dubbed the barefoot burglar after a footprint of a bare foot was found near a crime scene, although officials say that Harris-Moore wears shoes when committing his robberies. The foot prints are said to be Harris-Moore's trademark, although the theft of planes are now being said to be his new calling card. Legends about the young man's prowess as a thief are growing, with stories of him climbing of multi-storey buildings, destruction of heavy-duty safes and the stealing of luxury cars, boats and small aircraft. In late September Harris-Moore is believed to have been in Creston, British Columbia. There the young man is accused of car theft, burlaries and the attempted theft of a small plane, and the RCMP have been searching for him. The Camano Island police, where Harris-Moore is from, want quite badly to catch Harris-Moore, although a number of people, including Pam Kohler, believe Harris-Moore is a scapegoat of the police. The police have helped to inflate the myths surrounding Harris-Moore's capabilities. Camano Island deputy, Jeff Patterson told the media on October 6 that he had located the young man in the woods and failed to apprehend him because

"He virtually vaporized in front of me."

Harris-Moore is said to have had a rough childhood, and a troubled relationship with his mother, Kohler. Neighbours told press that they had called authorities several times for what they believed was abuse of Harris-Moore at the hands of his mother. He was first charged with theft when he was twelve years old. The incident where Harris-Moore allegedly fired at police is said to have occurred during the week of October 1, north of Seattle. Swat teams were called out after the police say a shot was fired from the woods. Now that authorities believe Harris-Moore is behind the theft of three small airplanes, a radio show host announced on air his belief that the theft of a small plane in 2008 was also the work of Harris-Moore. Since that airing, authorities now refer to Harris-Moore as a burglar with a James Bond complex. The teen is also thought to be behind the theft of a small plane in Idaho. However, reports indicate that the burglaries attributed to the young man are focused mainly in the Pacific northwest area of the United States. Police searched Kohler's property in September finding stolen property which resulted in pending charges, although it is not known who the charges were levelled against, or if charges were actually laid. While police are frustrated with being unable to capture the elusive Harris-Moore, the young man is being compared to Robin Hood, Huckleberry Finn and even a feral child, for allegedly managing to hide out in the woods indefinitely, eluding police and committing burglaries. The longer Harris-Moore eludes capture, the bigger his story grows.