ORCAS ISLAND, Wash. -- Officers from several law enforcement agencies are scouring Orcas Island this morning for 18-year-old Colton Harris-Moore, suspected of being the notorious "Barefoot Bandit" that has eluded authorities.
Harris is believed to be in an isolated, rugged area on the west side of the island where only a few homes are located, says San Juan County Sheriff William Cumming.
Multiple agencies started their search around 1:15 a.m. and continue to conduct an extensive ground and air search of the area; air space over the west side of Orcas Island has been closed.
Cumming didn't disclose what led authorities to believe Mooore was on the island, nor would he say if any new crimes have been committed.
Harris-Moore was first convicted at age 12 and is suspected in nearly 50 cases of home burglaries and car thefts since he snuck out the window of a halfway house in April 2008. Footprints are often left at the burglary sites, leading some to call Harris-Moore the "Barefoot Bandit."
Authorities also allege he may have stolen three small aircraft. Most recently, investigators believe he stole a plane from Anacortes and piloted it to Orcas Island on Feb. 10. Each time, Harris-Moore managed to elude police.
Harris-Moore's mother Pamela Kohler says her son "thinks he's James Bond" right now. "I don't think he truly knows all that's going on to try to catch him," she said.
Harris-Moore gained more notoriety after Time Magazine featured a photo of him last December. The online version of the magazine called him "America's Most Wanted Teenage Bandit," much to the disgust of his victims. Some people view the teenage fugitive as a type of modern-day Robin Hood, sparking t-shirts, Web sites, blogs and fan clubs idolizing Colton - something that angers many people.
