The Plot Thickens, The Legend Grows: Camano Island Teen Suspected of Idaho Airplane Theft

By Damon Agnos

​It's hard to tell if this kid is really an epic fugitive along the lines of Jason Bourne and Frank Abagnale, Jr. or just a convenient scapegoat for sundry thefts in the rural Northwest. Colton Harris-Moore is now suspected of stealing a plane in Idaho, "hard-landing" it in Granite Falls, and walking away. This followed a series of thefts--in which he is apparently suspected--of handguns, food, and beer at an airport in Creston, B.C. Who knows what the international element could add to his chase, but the cross-state foray has brought the FBI to the list of those investigating him, which already includes local law enforcement and the Federal Aviation Administration.

If he is indeed guilty of the crimes of which he's accused, someone has to make a movie of his unprecedented run. He's an unlikely super-fugitive, having grown up in a trailer in the woods and honed his skills stealing equipment form his middle school. But, police allege, he quickly moved on to stealing and flying planes, having taught himself to do the latter by reading flight manuals and Internet articles. And he jumped from a stolen Mercedes he was driving during a police chase, letting it crash into a grocery store while he disappeared into the woods, laughing at his pursuers.

Of course, all of this sucks for the victims of his crimes. But time heals wounds and Hollywood loves a precocious lawbreaker. See you on the big screen, Colton.

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