Authorities scale back Orcas Island search for Colton Harris-Moore

Authorities on Orcas Island have scaled back their search for fugitive Colton Harris-Moore, the notorious teen thief who's been eluding police since April 2008.

According to San Juan County Sheriff Bill Cumming, the search began about 1 a.m. and involved Snohomish County and Whatcom County dog tracking teams, Marysville police, the FBI and air support from U.S. Customs in Bellingham. But with no sign of the burglar, the search has been "scaled back to an ongoing investigation," the Sheriff's Office said in a news release.

The search was launched after a resident reported a break-in on the west side of Orcas Island, an isolated and rugged area where only a few homes are located.

"Authorities have blamed Harris-Moore, who's from Camano Island, for a string of late-night break-ins, boat heists and even the theft of some airplanes.

Harris-Moore, 18, has theft convictions going back to 2004 when he was 12. He was arrested in 2007 and convicted on three counts of first-degree residential burglary in Island County, but has been a fugitive since walking away from a Renton juvenile facility in April 2008.

Since his escape, he has been linked to more than 15 crimes in Island County, according to Island County sheriff's Detective Ed Wallace. He is wanted on a warrant for 10 criminal charges stemming from a July 2008 crime spree.

Last month, he was suspected of causing more than $5,000 damage to a grocery on Orcas Island and leaving behind 39 chalk sketches of cartoonish footprints at the scene. Four cash registers were emptied of $1,200.

Harris-Moore has gained a cultlike following, with Facebook pages and Web chatter dedicated to him. International media picked up the case and descended on South Camano Island and Orcas Island for a time to follow the tale of the teen.

Susan Gilmore: 206-464-2054 or sgilmore@seattletimes.com