Meet the World's Youngest Criminal Mastermind

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About Thoughty2
Thoughty2 (Arran) is a British KZbinr and gatekeeper of useless facts. Thoughty2 creates mind-blowing factual videos about science, tech, history, opinion and just about everything else.
#Thoughty2
Writing: Steven Rix
Editing: Jack Stevens

[@salexweldon]

Love that 14 year old thoughty2 still had a killer stache

[@RubyBlueUwU]

A stache like that is bestowed upon you at birth

[@JudeAlvarez]

From when he was born

[@redraven1604]

It could be no other way.

[@chadnewfield8866]

Ha!

[@andrewlawlor7678]

Unfortunately Aaron didn’t have the killer ‘stache when he started the channel. But it’s good ‘un now!

[@John-zt8fd]

That's lawyer's a bloody good bloke. Alot of the time all these kids need is a chance and someone to believe in them. Great to hear he's got his life back on track

[@decker528]

I really want to visit England and get phrases like "bloody good bloke" into my vocabulary

[@EarleTKG]

@@decker528 what’s stopping you from doing it now?

[@Tengorotalabarra]

yeah! there is a lot of kids in the same situation. Most politicians and businessmen commit much more gruesome crimes and no one seems to see it. Education is the answer but it seems like only powerful ones decides what is "education" as what's "right or wrong"

[@nannettefreeman7331]

My best friend's son is a career petty criminal with a heart of gold. He was diagnosed with ADD at a very young age, & doctors put him on Adderall when he was, like 7 or 8, which lead to his becoming a methamphetamine user by his teenage years. By the time he was 18, he already had numerous convictions for minor crimes. Because he did poorly in school (ADD), he dropped out. He couldn't find work because of his criminal record.. No one would hire him. He had a drug addiction he needed money to support. He committed more crime, established a criminal record as an adult, & the vicious cycle continued. As far as I know (& I've known this guy since he was 25. He'll be 41 this year) he has NEVER spent more than 6 months of his adult life NOT incarcerated. The Los Angeles Sheriff's Department keeps inmate records online for 1 year following an arrest. When you look up an inmate on their website, you enter their name then click search & a page showing a list of all their arrests over the past 12 months, by booking number comes up next. If you want details of any of the arrests, you click on that booking number & it will take you to a page detailing just that specific arrest, but I want to talk about the previous page, the list of arrests over the past 12 months. When you search this guy's name, you have to SCROLL to see all the times he's been arrested over the past year. That says 2 things: (1) He gets arrested a LOT, & (2) All of his crimes are minor enough that he gets right back out to get arested again, & again, & again, to the point that you can't view all of his arrests in the past 12 months on one computer screen! Some of that has to do with how well known he has become to law enforcement, who frequently stop him, knowing there's a very good chance they'll find something on him that will violate the terms of his parole or probation (he's been on both at the same time too) & be able to arrest him. That results in either a 10 or 30 day stay in jail for the violation. Some has to do with him not showing up for court appearances either because he forgot, or he simply doesn't want to go because he knows the outcome is never favorable for him. I remember one time, he had walked over to a friend's house where he had left his truck so that his friend could do a brake job for him. It had been a few days & he just wanted to go check if the brakes were done (well, he probably wanted to get high too. It was that kind of a house where he'd left the truck). It was not ready, so after "visiting" for a while, he had to walk home (about 3-4 blocks). By this time it was around midnight, so there weren't a lot of people walking the street. Somewhere on the way home, he saw something metallic in the grass of someone's yard. It turned out to be a hacksaw. He was working on a table for his mom at the time, & thought, "Hey, this might come in handy!" & put the saw under his jacket & resumed his walk. Before he made it home, because he was the only person walking that late, & the cop's immediately recognized him they stopped him, found the hacksaw, & arrested him for possessing burglary tools. Knowing the judge would never believe THE TRUTH, he took the plea bargain. Which was 364 days in County jail (the max, because of his criminal records) then got a year enhancement because of his prior criminal record & was out in about 9 months because of overcrowding in the jails. 9 months for picking up a discarded hacksaw coz he thought he might be able to use it re-doing a table for his mother. One time, he got to be one of the lucky 3 inmates that got to be housed in the portion of Pitchess Dententuon Center that is, for all intents & purposes, closed, but the County keeps 3 inmates there to continue to receive Federal funding as if it's still open. So he can't say the only luck he has is bad, I guess. I remember him getting a job in construction once, with a guy who had committed his fair share of crime his own self, in his youth, & knew how hard it was for someone with a lengthy criminal record to get a job (he had to start his own contracting company to have work himself!) & wanted to give the guy a chance. He did good for a few months, then relapsed into his addiction again & missed a few day's work & got fired. Like I said, he'll be 41 this year, has never held down a job for more than a few months & hasn't been OUT of jail for longer than 6 consecutive months. He is NOT a bad guy. He is, in fact, one of the most helpful & kind people I have ever known. Almost 100% of his crimes have been property crimes, stealing to support his drug habit. He DID get a charge of attempted murder added when he threw another prisoner over the rail, resulting in a broken leg, & another year in prison added on, once when he found himself in the middle of a prison riot. But other than that, he had no history of violent crime. It costs $43,000 per inmate per year to house someone in LA County jail, $106,000 per year in the State prison system. For someone like my friend's son, whose crimes are all (except the one) minor, non-violent & addiction-driven, would it not be cheaper in the long run to send him to rehab, give him some job training & JOB PLACEMENT upon his release?!? Realistically, it's too late for this guy but if something had been done early on to help him, I know the outcome would have been much different. He doesn't mind working when he can find someone willing to hire him, but cannot hold a job long because of his addiction. It's a tragic story of an entire life wasted that I'm sure plays out over & over again all across the country. The attorney in this story is more than a "bloody good bloke." He's literally a life saver. ✌🏼

[@joeciok]

He's obviously smarter than most of society.

[@Foxfire-xq5ij]

Damn… so you’re telling me all I needed to do was waste 5 years in jail, have a terrible childhood, and steal shit from people and I would have a secure job, loads of popularity, and fame? So much for 6 years in college, 25k in student loans, and a low wage job…..

[@PureLovable]

Really.

[@Pumpkin0_0]

Can you pilot a plane alone for over 1000 miles at 17 without ever having been taught, though?

[@joog79]

The terrible childhood thing is a bit of a dealbreaker though.

[@yalu2]

He had 1.4 million in loans from the school of life ;)

[@LRM12o8]

Well, while selling the story of your life for million dollars sounds awesome, we should not forget that being an extraordinarily interesting and charismatic criminal is the most high-risk, low odds way to become famous of all. And even if it works out, that story is filled mostly with painful memories of desperate times he certainly wishes to not have made. I certainly wouldn't envy him ever.

[@caroldavis5877]

To get away with all those thefts, he has to be incredibly smart, maybe even genius level.

[@Veldrusara]

He very likely is very highly intelligent, but not necessarily because he was able to get away with it. It shows more in the fact he tried in the first place. Highly intelligent people need to feel challenged or they either act out or grow into very depressed people. This was acting out, but in a way, it's what he needed to do to 'stay sane'. As for getting away with his thefts, the main thing which gets thieves caught is because they have a "home base"; Something about them which remains constant, which leads them to be able to be tracked. This kid left no footprints, so to speak, because his entire existence was 'off the grid'. Living on the grid and getting away with stuff like this definitely would take a genius. That's why "the grid" existing is both intentional and happenstance. A lot of people championing the cause of privacy for individuals don't entirely understand the balancing act it is, because if you're not a criminal, being able to track you and your belongings can be how to save you if you're kidnapped etc and get back things that other people stole from you. The more privacy you have, the easier you can fall victim to piracy... and be a pirate.

[@soslothful]

Perhaps an intelligent person would have used his intelligence in positive pursuits.

[@Veldrusara]

@@soslothful It's difficult when you're a kid, even more difficult when you're a kid with an extremely poor family, and damn near impossible when you're starving half to death all the time like he was before he started doing this. Not saying this to be snotty toward you or anything, but life doesn't work out according to peoples' ideas of idealism, and in fact almost never does, because something is always missing. That doesn't mean that for instance if you're missing a good role model in your life, you have an excuse to grow up to be an ass, but it Does mean that what a positive pursuit even *is* ends up being whatever kind of life can make you feel successful and empowered after experiencing life that's a losing proposition of perpetuated powerlessness. So people like you, apparently, who would call people dumb just for opting to live outside of a system which would be happy to punish them but isn't happy to help them is what makes criminals like this kid in the first place.

[@soslothful]

@@Veldrusara Yes, sever adversity in one's formative years in the form of neglect and abuse may radically distort one's moral and cognitive development. On this we agree. How we as a society will bring these concerns into our legal system in a fraught issue. Childhood abuse may be a mitigating factor, but it is not exculpating, the criminal must be prevented from future crime. And I'm quite curious. where did I call any dumb?

[@Veldrusara]

@@soslothful "Perhaps an intelligent person would have used his intelligence in positive pursuits.". Directly insinuating that he's not intelligent. Not intelligent=dumb.

[@piconano]

My buddy and I stole a Mini when we were 17. We were nice enough to fill up the guy's gas tank and parked his car one street over, when we were done. Next day we went to check on the car now parked in the street by the owner's house. There was a note on the dash facing the front of the windshield. It read; "Guys thanks for the fill up. You can take it anytime you want since you know how. This car also needs an oil change!". To this day I laugh when I remember what happened. Kudos to that guy. We felt bad doing that to him, but the joy ride and that experience was worth it.

[@Ice.muffin]

Good story, thnx for sharing!

[@Fractisdnb]

I love that

[@WeedBat]

Hey atleast you didn't actually steal it, more borrowed it, nice story lmao.

[@Oban2006]

should of changed the oil

[@cherilynnfisher5658]

I love this story! Thanks!

[@WilliamReginaldLucas]

Netflix need to make this guy’s story an original series. A tragic upbringing, a lengthy and angsty crime spree, topped off with his comeuppance and a full on redemption arc.

[@blairsanders607]

There's a documentary about this kid it's call barefoot bandit

[@mukonank783]

Send them an email, its crazy enough for them to make it.

[@rexxbailey2764]

FC'UKCK THAT TRASH NETFLIX! 😠😡🤮🤮🤮😷 EITHER HBO OR AMAZON WOULD BE BETTER MAKING SOMETHING GOOD OUT OF THIS AWESOME STORY! THE PEOPLE VS OJ SIMPSON SERIES WAS A FANTASTIC EXAMPLE OF WHAT HBO COULD MAKE OUT OF THIS LOONY TALE WITH THOSE MAKERS OF DAT AWESOME SERIES!

[@paulthrutner9114]

@@blairsanders607 ye I've seen it. Excellent doc and well made.

[@tomb3582]

There is a documentary here on youtube :) called Barefoot Bandit. It explains a lot more as it is way longer. Like the fact many people loved him just for rebelling out and that the landings of those flights were all crash landings because he didnt learn to land :)

[@abckidscroblox]

This reminded me of this one scene from a book where this person never puts on shoes because he “accidentally” left it somewhere, but then one day this other person finding the “lost” shoes and giving it back, asking him to put it on, in which he accepts for the moment, only to be seen without shoes the next time they met. So she keeps finding it and giving it back and he keeps “losing” it “on accident” anyways. Turns out the he did this not because he didn’t like shoes. It was because he had finally found someone who had cared for him, even when he purposely left his shoes somewhere, and she would always give it back without knowing how much it had meant. It was very heartwarming but sad that it was only one sided, but this still stuck with me. ❤

[@Sirkento]

He should be in the comment section here just saying. It's pretty amazing what you were able to accomplish, if you ever read this, and this gives you a pretty powerful story to tell people. I hope things are going well for you and it is Honorable that you are working on paying off those debts and that's a lot more than can be said for a lot of people who have never been to jail. I hope when people hear this story they work a little bit harder to get children out of dangerous and severely oppressive homes before terrible consequences occur

[@luxiness8985]

Despite a crime spree lasting nearly two years, it was considered remarkable that someone so young had never shown any progression towards violent crimes. This was actually one of the things his defense used to alleviate his sentence.

[@larryclemens1850]

You mean other than using a gun in his attempt to evade police.

[@SyM-Prisoner627]

@@larryclemens1850 Shhhh, that was at the end in a moment of desperation.

[@kellydalstok8900]

@@larryclemens1850 knowing what the police in the US are like, arming up seems like the sensible thing to do.

[@larryclemens1850]

@@kellydalstok8900 O K A Y....

[@MohammedAli-hl4mr]

@@larryclemens1850 a guy can run from the police unarmed and get shot in the head and killed, the american police have a unique standard

[@G4bbytheGreat]

My dad worked at the children's prison he wound up at. They used Colton to test their cell security because he could unscrew things with his bare fingers and escape from anything. Lmao My dad said he was a pretty alright kid.

[@winged_rat]

Lol that's cool

[@NickC_222]

He would've made an exceptional penetration tester. Pen testers do exactly that-they're paid to try and skirt people's security, physically, socially, digitally, whatever they know how to do. It sounds like one of the most fun jobs and it's basically what you describe Colt doing, but on a much wider scale.

[@G4bbytheGreat]

@@NickC_222 oh, I absolutely agree. He'd be phenomenal.

[@km077]

Yeah, he was able to simply steal screws if they weren't welded flush with the cell.

[@G4bbytheGreat]

@@km077 yup, that's exactly what I heard

[@jamiebensson6024]

It makes me wonder how his intuition and resourcfulness would have developed had he been properly cared for, educated and more importantly, loved 😥 my youngest brother had a similar "upbringing" and has been in and out of prison since 13 and that makes so sad and I miss him dearly xx great video Thoughty 👆🏻👆🏻

[@hoperules8874]

sorry about your bro prayers for you both

[@user-gx9ns4gl4o]

where do you now live

[@Neonnotecards]

The game rebellion as a teen is relatable asf. Friends of mine took up hardcore gothic styles, heavy metal, smoking etc and the worst thing I did when I was left home alone for a day was eat more candy than I shouldve

[@sophieandwayne]

That kid has amazing life skills. Glad he got a shot at a normal life and is paying back what he took. He is a natural survivalist!

[@Martyn_Wolf]

Better than Bear Grills 🤣

[@BeHappyWithUrLife]

This is so true, what a great story and good comment too!

[@AGRGTR09]

he got a shot at alright

[@NullifidianYT]

Being a lawyer & fking over others is not exactly paying back to the community!

[@korganrocks3995]

@@AGRGTR09 That's actually how I read the comment for a moment!

[@clarangakoana2634]

This guy is smart it's just the toxic environment he grew up in that forced him to live like the way he had .I'm glad nobody was hurt in his stunts and he got his act together at last

[@ellencox8415]

Including him. From the states listed, he could have easily been shot upon entry if he hadn't been meticulous with the night vision goggles. Interesting story.

[@dispmonk]

Many people were hurt… every single one of his victims….

[@samihtameez8584]

@@dispmonk physically

[@clarangakoana2634]

@@samihtameez8584 yes that's what I meant

[@etzgames996]

@@clarangakoana2634 they're talking about dispmonk

[@autisticgod3338]

it is kind of hilarious that he went from being a thief to a law career as a lot of people consider those to be pretty similar lol

[@jeremyholland4527]

That was my anonymous nickname at basic training for the army. I woke up to talk to someone at the CQ desk and for whatever reason didn’t put any shoes on(just socks). Unbeknownst to me they had just waxed the floor and it hadn’t dried up yet. Despite me wearing socks, the next morning it appeared that someone had walked through the wax barefoot. Guys in my platoon started talking about the wax foot bandit who couldn’t be bothered by walking around the wet wax or by putting on shoes. We got punished the following morning with plenty of push-ups. Fun times.

[@christianlee1151]

THAT WAS YOU?

[@wanatiqi]

@@christianlee1151 lol

[@onlyfromadistance7326]

I have lived here on Camano Island for about 25 years. Most of the people I know support Colton. Many people would leave food out for him with notes of support. I put out some clothes for him but he never made it to my place. He got a raw deal in life, but he has had more of a life than most people. One of the planes he took belonged to a local radio dj. I heard he got it back fairly safely. Colton was a "Grey man" in his own way. Rock on Colton!!!

[@goatmansasquatch1485]

Yeah but would you still support him if he broke into your crib, took your car and bought shit off your credit card?

[@onlyfromadistance7326]

@@goatmansasquatch1485 I left him notes inside the house while I had my car with me at work. And no one would get far with MY debit card...

[@FilosophicalPharmer]

Colton fans live in North Carolina also 👍🏼. Look past his "misdeeds" and focus on what this free-range kid accomplished. Its mind-boggling! Or maybe you need some entries in a pilot logbook to appreciate it? I have 63 hours from decades ago and still remember how scary learning to fly by yourself is. I know society says i shouldn't but i just can't help how much admiration i have for him. Need to find a Barefoot Bandit tshirt.. 🤔

[@FilosophicalPharmer]

@@goatmansasquatch1485 Other than the hassle of not having a plane while filling out insurance claim forms, what did it cost the owners? Personally, if i had to replace a plane because of Colton, i would absolutely make sure to include that in the plane's maintenance log! ☺️👍🏼 "Replacement airframe and powerplant due to Barefoot Bandit." Would be like owning a Bankse.

[@AdakStillStands]

@@goatmansasquatch1485 Yeah. It's just stuff, replaceable with more stuff. There's always someone worse off than ourselves. Sasquatch's too! It's never easy to ask for what ought to be offered in times of need. In Snohomish County, Island County and on all the San Juan Islands, we look out for each other in many ways in times of need. It's just stuff...

[@dainbramage781]

I grew up in western Washington and I was in my late 20s when Colton began his spree on Camano. Once he became known online and people realized that he wasn't out to hurt anyone, there were multiple people both on the island and off that would set out gift baskets or care kits for him in case he came around. No word on whether or not he ever picked up any of them but the local news covered it and acted quite incredulous to those people who said they supported him. I followed his FB page sometime around then and he would post pictures of himself laying in makeshift campsites while mentioning his love of nature in the comments. The man was basically a folk hero to the local younger generation who saw him as a rebel with a good heart. Once he started stealing airplanes and especially once he made it to the Bahamas, people still would send him messages online rooting him on and sending him thoughts and prayers in hopes he would stay safe. We all knew he would get caught eventually, but we hoped he wouldn't die before that happened. It's good to see he came out of it all with a decent head on his shoulders and stories that will last forever.

[@christineperez7562]

I think most people would understand he is trying to survive. I mean he breaks in for a shower and some food

[@BlakeSeely57]

This is my first time hearing this story and its pretty insane considering that I live in Stanwood Wa (10 miles from Camano)

[@valmiro4164]

Probably one of the reasons he got a lighter sentence, people loved him.

[@wasd____]

That lawyer who hired him is either a truly good guy or a complete Saul Goodman, and I'm not sure which makes for the better story.

[@CuackTheDucks]

I think Colton is becoming Saul Goodmsn himself, and his lawyer is Chuck. Colton with the Slippin Jimmy backstory and all

[@Cat-pv6yx]

I was waiting for this comment

[@RobJuneau]

Dear Thoughty2, at 5:52 you have Colton ending up somewhere in Ontario or maybe Quebec. We typically call that area part of “central” AND “Eastern” Canada, so I can understand the confusion. “Western” Canada is largely the other end.

[@DocHolliday1851]

I was cheering for Colton the whole way. I couldn't dare to steal a plane just to teach myself to fly. He's a very sharp lad.

[@NikkiC777]

I can't imagine learning to fly a plane, all alone, during your first time in a plane. It's amazing it all turned out so well for him in the end, but I am glad it did.

[@charliemirus4124]

I’d pay to see a movie about this guy. I love “based on true story” movies!

[@farwoodfarm9296]

I was just thinking the same thing!

[@vaisakhkm783]

i thought why such a movie not mentioning in story

[@damocsell]

There is a much better documentary on Colton Harris AKA the barefoot bandit just do a search.

[@stored6380]

There’s a video on KZbin explaining the whole story with reenactments, animation, and interviews with pretty much everyone involved in the story. It’s a really fun and interesting watch. I couldn’t keep my eyes off of the video and it felt like it went by in 2 minutes when I believe it’s an hour long or so video.

[@RGC_animation]

I mean you would need to pay to legally watch that movie.

[@duck456]

It would be so interesting to sit and have a conversation with Colton

[@MrHandy-nr5hi]

I was a propane delivery driver on Camano Island and ran into this kid staying in a vacation home on the South End. I was told to mail the invoice for the homeowner as they kept the heat on during the winters. I noticed one customer was using more gas than usual so I knocked on the door to see if someone was staying there and Colton answered and said he was house sitting. Had no idea it was him until they caught him later. He was very polite and gave me no reason to not believe him so I upped the delivery schedule and but the usage went back down immediately! He didn’t trash the place I think he just wanted out of the cold for a few weeks.

[@OutsideGamerGirl]

With a wild story like that, I bet he's a hit attending parties! On a more serious note, here's to hope Colton will remain a good citizen and offer his services to assist the children of unfortunate cicrumstances in his community.

[@epajarjestys9981]

He could teach the children in the neighbourhood how to fly. Hope he's found a good wife or two and is producing many future pilots.

[@Ice.muffin]

@@epajarjestys9981 😂🤣👍

[@rswow]

With the prevalent unfair biases against males dealing with kids, that's a tough call.

[@jerraldwest8531]

Honestly I hope things that he was able to accomplish with zero formal education on those subjects, he'll probably get recruited by the CIA at some point.

[@queeng5925]

last i heard he was doing work release for a lawyer

[@shaneintegra]

Lets be real. This kid lived a life the majority of us could only dream of.

[@user-gx9ns4gl4o]

A life of suffering

[@mcterry9991]

Lol in 😂 a game but not real life

[@dallasfreeman3417]

maybe not the child hood but the rest of it hell yeah

[@disnameisveryshortsodontst9447]

This is just like 'Catch me if you can."! I love stories like these.

[@jdnnddjd3948]

He wasn’t a criminal, he was an adventurer.

[@e.l.studios455]

" boys will be boys! "

[@PineappleSquuid]

Adventurous criminal

[@jdnnddjd3948]

@@PineappleSquuid I reccomend you watch Colton Harris Moore's interview on The Glares. Or the Real Stories documentary

[@soslothful]

Multiple theft of others property makes one a criminal.

[@PineappleSquuid]

@@jdnnddjd3948 he’s still a criminal lmao

[@phalanx2117]

He went to school with my little brother. He was a bit of a troublemaker but none of his classmates thought he would have done what he did. And it's pronounced Ca-main-o island.

[@buffetline2605]

Stanwood represents!

[@nmarkert01]

Thoughty can pronounce it however the hell he wants!! Lol

[@enricodeazevedo1829]

Ok but who asked tho?

[@Ashrune]

@@enricodeazevedo1829 who?

[@A_Stereotypical_Guy]

And?

[@BelgorathTheSorcerer]

I stole a car once. It was a Hot Wheels though. Bilbo Baggins was my role model at the time. I'm still looking over my shoulder 20 years later.

[@niklaslund2204]

I once stole a starter pack of pokemon 1 edition. Got a charizard and traded it away for a fat pikachu. Guess it was my karma. Never again lol

[@busch6538]

@@niklaslund2204 I found a original chargzar in my Pokemon collection a couple of weeks ago never knew I had it

[@crakkbone8473]

I’ve stolen several cars, I wouldn’t suggest it. It’s nerve wracking

[@sweethindi]

Reminds me. When I was 12 I shoplifted makeup and got caught and humiliated at the store as well as banned for life. The store shut down and sat empty, then a Walmart moved in and I still look over my shoulder remembering my long ago ban 😂 even though I’m 40 now and would rather cut off my hand than shoplift

[@goatmansasquatch1485]

I used to steal ford escorts on the run 2010 since they’re the easiest to force wire up. It’s not really that hard

[@Lorentz_Factor]

I find it odd that you call him a heartless criminal, when he performed absolutely zero violent x. If all criminals were as such, the world would not be such a bad place. As well I find it pretty fucked up that the parole officer has any say in a crowdfunding campaign for something that if nothing else, could further his productivity in society. Don't get me wrong, I don't see him as a hero at all. But I do see him as the type of criminal that I would prefer over what I have seen mostly in the United states. Absolutely no violence, no sexual misconduct, no involvement with any crime other than property. It should not be lauded, no cheered, but to say heartless? Crime is never a good thing. But crimes without violence are preferable, and even when somebody caught him, he never attempted a violent response. Even when he had a firearm, no violence. Heartless you say?

[@ronblack7870]

when you are on parole you are still technically in prison. so they have rules you have to follow

[@rswow]

@@ronblack7870 The government should be in prison for 1) The debt-money system, and 2) For not guaranteeing every single child a basic level of resources/sustenance in such a resource and tech-rich nation.

[@bryduhbikeguy]

Perhaps the parole officer didn't want him licensed as he was already a 'flight risk'?

[@valmiro4164]

Yeah, he also either omitted or made up some details. He forgot to mention the fact that another guy thought him how to pick locks, or how he sold his story for over 1M to pay for damages, how he was forced to pay the rest with crowdfunding he initially intended for his license. And made up a story about him dating a girl when he was openly gay during his exploits.

[@kathrinsides2838]

I am so glad that this kid managed to turn his life around. His story up until he was caught made me incredibly sad for him. But I’m so glad that he found someone that was willing to give him a hand up to change the direction of his life.

[@thegalaxy2262]

The barefoot bandit was an incredible story to follow, I'm very happy you made this video

[@minitea4315]

Oh my gosh! Even the galaxy backs this guy.

[@jessejamesedwardwaspy5674]

This is 100% truthful, when he was on that crime spree when he crossed the border to canada i seen him hitch hiking and i had no idea who he was at the time not until a week later i seen it on the news and put 2 and 2 together. He was such a nice polite fella i smoked a couple doobies with him and he said that it was his first time ever smoking pot... and btw interesting fact to point out, i was dumb enough to leave my wallet on centre counsil when i ran into store quickly and he did not steal a single dime of the 540 bucks i had in there

[@CigsInABlanket]

Probably too stoned.

[@yutudelickzolonskyyballs7146]

@@CigsInABlanket weed reduce agressiveness

[@ritchieaustin5451]

Lies

[@pokingfun4008]

@@yutudelickzolonskyyballs7146 there is still honor among criminals

[@CigsInABlanket]

​@@yutudelickzolonskyyballs7146 Stealing when nobody is looking isn't aggressive behaviour.

[@PootLoops]

My favorite channels, I usually go through hundreds of hours watched without posting a comment. I just wanted to say, thank you Thoughty2 - you are awesome!

[@Scraggledust]

This story is always intriguing. It never gets old

[@StoffelDilligas]

What i am most impressed with, is not the fact he took off or flew the plane, with no training. It's the fact he landed safely. And when I mean safely, the planes may have been knackered afterwards, but he has walked away from each landing

[@brkle9833]

My man got bored of playing GTA so he decided to reenact it in real life

[@texastrishamts4248]

The man deserves a thumbs up as he didn't need any flying lessons to get himself up in the air 😂😂😂

[@macman975]

You can steal planes in GTA?.

[@jimmiedmc1]

He should have sold hi story to rock star games

[@davidlancaster8152]

GTA....Grand Theft Airplane!

[@KalpeshPatel78]

This should be a movie. I'm sure it will be An inspiration for future generations.

[@janefreeman995]

It's CamAno Island but nomatter. Amazing he was so poor on Camano. Many gorgeous homes there. Relatively safe place and some probably dont always even lock their doors Practical Magic was filmed there. I grew up on one of the Islands and then after college wintered on a smaller island nearby. . I met a boy of 15 whose mother left him and moved to Florida. He was a sweet kid and so surprised to run across a young guy alone, homeless, living off the land poaching rabbits in this idealic setting...This was long before the current homeless crises and preceded Colton's plight. Sheds light on what we perceive as a charmed existence co-existing with others going thru really rough circumstances. He was resourceful for sure. That trusting island life with houses in the trees and on waterfront probably made it easier to move between places and case what was sitting empty. Many second homes. Netflix movie Maid pays homage to Colton with a brief cameo of his story.

[@LunaMapping_KR]

I'm so glad he became a good citizen now, that lawyer is a really good person, we need more people like them

[@vroom431]

They don't just become good they just get smarter.

[@bakielh229]

Don't just have a link tree without being on OF

[@drummingninja1065]

He lived on the same road as my wife on Camano Island. He went to school with us, rode the same bus, and evaded law enforcement in the woods on the island for a long long time.

[@snakedoktor6020]

*rode

[@drummingninja1065]

@@snakedoktor6020 thanks. Spelling is hard

[@snakedoktor6020]

@@drummingninja1065 Indeed it is. My pleasure.

[@A_Stereotypical_Guy]

You want a cookie?

[@drummingninja1065]

@@A_Stereotypical_Guy sure. you buying?

[@246trixie]

Geez that was emotional, i was crying at the end! What a top turn around, good for him! I think he did it so someone noticed he existed, thats what made me cry, thats heart breaking.. im glad he gor noticed and I glad he is making the most of his life. Good for you coulton x

[@jacsouthall4945]

I'm not usually a massive fan of this type of video, but I tip my hat to you for this one. Very interesting, and puts you through a series of emotions. Brilliant to hear he turned things around

[@andrewwunder7255]

Crazy enough, he crashed a plane into my back yard. In Granite Falls Washington. And then stole shoes from my neighbors house. This why we started calling him the “barefoot bandit” was hoping this would be in the video.

[@RGC_animation]

Were you able to meet him?

[@andrewwunder7255]

Unfortunately no. Though I remember black hawk helicopters landing at the football field in town. And then doing a search with local law enforcement, it was a very big deal in our small mountain town. I had a very “eclectic” teacher, that would open his door to his classroom. And scream out into the woods that he had shoes for him. Very odd time for us.

[@Dogpool]

This is not true. I know because the guy crashed in my back yard.

[@baconmail8714]

@@Dogpool Mine too

[@panthererousse]

source: trust me bro

[@janellejanjan]

I remember rooting for the barefoot bandit. When you put his face on “western Canada” I got a little confused tho. But it can be wherever you want

[@derekminer8185]

Me too. I was like, "That is eastern canada.." 🤔

[@longarmsgiraffe0955]

I was wondering how far I'd have to scroll down till someone mentioned that

[@janellejanjan]

@@longarmsgiraffe0955 I hesitated to mention it as I’m horrible with geography. But there was, like, a map there 😂

[@shirleymental4189]

This reminds me of the Frank Abagnale story told in the movie 'catch me if you can'. Even the ending is similar with Frank ending up working for the FBI.

[@moonlight1393]

Speaking as one of his avid followers back in the day, I totally rooted for him. While I had a damn good upbringing, I'd seen close relatives and friends struggle to survive. Not to excuse myself, but my parents did raise to be compassionate and helping. So I understood why he needed to steal to survive for so long. I even read on one of the boards that his mom named him "Colton" after the brand of beer. So that really soured my opinion of his family, and upped my sympathy for him even more. But I also understand how some of his victims felt later in life. Living on my own for the first time ever was scary. Especially after someone broke into my apartment and stole some of my stuff. Now being a broke ass college student, the only things I had worth stealing was my WiiU, PS2, video games, CDs, rice cooker, and toaster oven. Thank God I had my purse and laptop with me at the time. But its a very violating thing to experience. I never bothered filing a police report. But I did move back into my parents house immediately (my rent was on a month-by-month lease). So I do understand how his victims would feel. Especially after having their credit cards stolen. I watched my mom go through that and while our credit union made it a fairly painless process, not everyone has is that easy. So yes, what he was doing was wrong. Yes, he crossed the line between surviving and thrill seeking. But I will always love hearing his story. Its thrilling and endearing. I completely understand that its always wrong to encourage criminal activity. But his story is just too compelling to not love. That fact that he gets a happy ending, with help from his giga-chad of a lawyer, is just the cherry on top.

[@jasonbennett9851]

It's always nice to see your stomping grounds portrayed on international news ... ted bundy, gary ridgeway, the first case of covid in the US .. and this guy!!!

[@DocHolliday1851]

My old stomping grounds as well.

[@aceykrew5207]

Same here. Shelton WA

[@MartaWomack]

🤣🤣🤣

[@Frankie5Angels150]

Not to mention AntiFA and BLM burning the city down. Then there’s the highest suicide rate on the country. But the worst thing Seattle inflicted on the world is Starbucks!

[@RolandHazoto]

I literally cried tears of joy at the outcome. I'm so happy he's doing alright

[@mcprt13]

Same, it's a good thing he didn't went farther to hurt people in pursuit of his crime, that made him turn his life around at the end proves people can change.

[@ilovemydog6847]

Absolutely brilliant video. Well told and with great animation. Thoroughly enjoyable. Thank you. 👍👍👍👍

[@dsxa918]

It's a secret friends, but Thoughty2 started this channel in rebellion, in fact, hearing about the 'wild frontier of KZbin' as a kid, and resolving to spice it up, stache-style!

[@smorgasbroad1132]

Have to admire the kids guts and self-taught mad skills. He reminds me of the cast of characters in Ocean's 11 or that tv show Leverage. I hope he has never seen his awful parents again. Props to his lawyer, a really good guy.

[@Valigarmanda]

Imagine Colton sitting on a bench during lunch break, an enigmatic man approached him and tapped on his shoulder. "I've heard your story. I'm impressed." said the man. "Thanks. Sir...?" replied Colt. "Oh, nevermind my name. You smoke?" the man invited. "Sure." taking the man up on his offer. They talk for a few minutes until Colt's break is done. As they separate, "Hey, I never even got your name." Colt mentioned. "Oh, you can just call me Dan. Dan Cooper." as the man leaves.

[@ryleyfinn7067]

Are you talking about the comic book pilot Dan cooper? Or D.B. cooper, the guy who stole millions and jumped out a plane? 😂

[@Valigarmanda]

@@ryleyfinn7067 D.B Cooper was never the alias of the guy who hijacked the plane. It has always been Dan Cooper. Thoughty has a vid on that. Hence, why I used it.

[@pinkiepie6880]

I've heard of the Barefoot Bandit but every video I've watched only covers his exploits... which were amazing for a criminal so young. But to hear about his early life, I now understand why he went down that path... it's truly sad. He learnt that authority figures like his parents, and supposed pillars in the community, police, etc would not help him. Sounds like he desperately wanted to get away from home. How sad. Edit: He's actually lucky that something bad didn't happen to him on his travels; there are so many creeps, not to mention wild animals. Probably street smarts helped.

[@missmisunderstood8531]

He was also like, 6"5 and probably pretty intimidating

[@skeletor2837]

16:30 Parole Officer: "Stop stealing shit!" Him: "Then, give me stuff!"

[@aceykrew5207]

The fact that he gave a large amount of stolen money donation to an animal shelter also legend

[@soslothful]

The victims of his theft probably feel rather differently.

[@user-yr5hb3nb3s]

Yes, they prefer for him to buy himself clothes and yachts. You are so insensitive.

[@soslothful]

@@user-yr5hb3nb3s How he spent the stolen money does not change the fact it was stolen.

[@valmiro4164]

​ @soslothful nope the owner of the last plane he stole even asked for leniency

[@Gizathecat2]

Hey thanks for covering a story that happened so close to home for me! I live only about fifteen miles south-east from there! I remember reading in the paper about all the home break-ins on Camano Island. Property owners were understandably very nervous during that time. BTW, Camano Island is a lovely place to visit and the State Park is very popular!

[@AdakStillStands]

Too popular since 1969. And expensive before they called it "inflation".

[@afeeling8300]

i remember seeing this story on some criminal channel, its been a long time ago, you just unlocked a new memory for me

[@alexaclancy8019]

That is an amazing story I'm very glad I watched this! Good for him for turning his life around!!

[@eikjaupederaste]

I extremely enjoyed the lack of in video ads, man. Keep it up! Also, i think you told this story better than anyone in Hollywood ever could.

[@isabelp187]

I would recommend watching the documentary "The Barefoot Bandit" it goes deeper into this story and it has amazing animation/ graphics to go with it !!! I've watched it twice since i saw it first and its truly so good!!

[@dieterschonefeld7428]

That lawyer was most of all VERY smart. It was probably the best possibility to get the ultimate ball plank to test so far never thought of ideas. How else find such a guy? Trying to would pop up lots of dancing monkeys.

[@TalenGryphon]

Lol! The barefoot bandit! My Aunt and uncle lived on Camano Island when this was going on! And lived across the bay from them near Stanwood. Always wondered if I crossed paths with this kid by accident. The bit about him committing grand theft airplane still makes me laugh. The Boeing plant is right across The Sound in Everett, so a lot of locals are Aerospace enthusiasts, myself included

[@roguesouthracing1553]

I was rootin for that kid the whole time he was on the run lol...how the Government didn't give him a consulting job is beyond me. 😎👍

[@A_Stereotypical_Guy]

Can't have too many criminals in one place ya know?

[@SyM-Prisoner627]

@@Straightshooter547 In a perfect world, if you learn to fly a plane the VERY FIRST time you even step foot on one, you would just be granted a license no questions asked

[@StrategicGamesEtc]

@@SyM-Prisoner627 in a perfect world you wouldn't need a pilot's license.

[@LiterallyCensoredDaily]

@@StrategicGamesEtc right. Travel freely by a means of one's own choosing. Of course people will crash, but most would probably crash over an unpopulated area,like an ocean or mountain or something, so the only people hurt are usually the ones who knowingly gambled with their lives and lost. Darwinism. We need more of that.

[@cherylgreene6686]

He was loved by most people in Washington state. We were cheering for him.

[@EvanJGMegson]

I never heard of this story but I loved it as long as you don’t kill somebody I don’t mind

[@leopolddupuis6678]

Love your content Thoughty. I live here in the Northwest, just North of Seattle. Just so you know, a little FYI, Camano Island is pronounced Camāno. The second 'a' is actually the long ā sound of that vowel. So it's not pronounced like Ray Romano says his name but rather like the ai sound in Refrain. 😎👍 keep up the great work my brother.

[@orlandonkwoji6817]

Thank you for this story. This guy is legendary!

[@nerdmachine5551]

These stories are always so interesting! Poor Colton. Glad he's probably changed now

[@magnus4346]

As a Midwesterner I can point out that his travel path corresponds with the rails. Ive met some people before who would hope on freights.

[@isaacyoder4137]

Dude just craved freedom and adventure. He wasn't driven by hatred, greed, or desire to control or dominate. He simply felt more at home on his own in the wild. A lack of self-control perhaps, but no malignant intent. A truely pure-hearted criminal. Reminds me of how I used to go sneak through all of my neighbors' back yards when I was tired of being home. Even digitally scouting on google maps was one of my go-to things to plan a route. One time the city laid down 2 of those road wires to monitor traffic and speed, spaced about 15 feet apart. I assumed they were calibrated with a measured distance to record the speed, so I pulled one up and re-staked it about 3 inches from the other to mess with their data lol, make it look like cars were going 100+. I'd even steal "tokens" like an empty can of mentos out of construction vehicles. Always at night, staying out of open areas, avoiding people and hiding from cars, keeping a few rocks to throw at wild animals. I'd label myself a bit a hooligan. It was only ever for the rush and excitement of doing it, with no other goal.

[@XViTNg]

I mean honestly. With a plane like that it really is pretty self explanatory for the most part if you are doing a purely manual flight. Like I would imagine quite a few people could hop in and figure out how to get it in the air and how to land it. A large majority of flight school is just preparing you for what can go wrong. But in his case wirh nothing but short flights and smooth sailing. I could totally believe he could fly that plane and land it.

[@kylek6922]

I grew up in the area and instantly knew from the title who Arran was referring to. Also I was curious on how he would pronounce some of the names. Not quite how we say Camano in these parts lol but excellent telling of the story all the same!

[@danielstacy6786]

i remember hearing about the barefoot bandit 10+ years ago and i'm still surprised they never made a movie

[@goatmansasquatch1485]

They literally made a doc

[@danielstacy6786]

@@goatmansasquatch1485 yeah no shit, I also know the difference between a documentary and a movie

[@goatmansasquatch1485]

@@danielstacy6786 but yet you’re surprised they don’t make 2 million more movies every year

[@pnwlady]

He didn’t want fame and only sold his story to pay back those he stole from.

[@Tiosedan]

This guy is going to be the best dad! Imagine all the historys he could tell.

[@kevinquist]

I was raised in a house very similar. bound and determined to leave at age 15 as I couldnt take it anymore. hunkered down, locked my door. put headphones on super loud (yes i have tinnitus now). graduated high school met a girl (now my wife)and actually never left the area. We all choose who we become. Screw blaming your weak will on your bad up bringing.

[@eyeswideopen7777]

Your boring

[@ftbllguy2515]

I grew up and live in Everett. You can see it clearly labeled on the map Thoughty shows. I'm the same age, and he was a legend amongst our age group everywhere in the area. It's wild to see he became so big it's still being talked about now.

[@stored6380]

There’s a video on KZbin explaining the whole story with reenactments, animation, and interviews with pretty much everyone involved in the story. It’s a really fun and interesting watch. I couldn’t keep my eyes off of the video and it felt like it went by in 2 minutes when I believe it’s an hour long or so video.

[@sircalvin]

5:50 "western canada" i think thats the only time ive noticed a mistake in a thoughty2 video, great job!

[@paulmercer7448]

"chilling out maxing relaxing"... Summer time with the fantastic kickback.

[@Patriotess]

Okay so this is insane. I just started a job as an technician at one of the airports the Barefoot Bandit stole a plane from. Apparently he stole a pair of shoes from our shop manager before he fled. 😂

[@KP-vy9ro]

I got so hyped seeing this notification pop up as I feel like it's been a eternity since I got the custom tone I made for Thoughty2's new videos and officially made my day hearing it haha

[@theunsolved6052]

Yes

[@ifyourepeatalieoftenenough8500]

Can u make a custom tone for kids being fucked in the butt online? Something that makes them look stupid while they are crying and screaming for help while the p** is pressed into them. I think that would be more successful than fighting kids abuse as noone seems to take seriously their situation....

[@ifyourepeatalieoftenenough8500]

@salsa💘⏬ and they dont need tk be 18. What do you want? 18 months? Too bad that i dont have connection otherwise i would sel you a kid... But i dont have kids... Icould steal them WHAT A GREAT IDEA . you are genius.

[@KP-vy9ro]

@@theunsolved6052 Just the cut of "Thoughty2 Here" I just used a simple audio program to cut out his intro as the notification pops up... nothing too crazy lol

[@prof.mommyarty]

What an amazing story! But the one thing that had me clutching my pearls was you not using a coaster😱🙊. Tfs and have a great day

[@timlucas143]

I have flown similar Cesna planes. You would need to read the manual to get it started and taxi for take-off. Honstly, certain people with reasonable intelect would be able to manage this if they read up on how the aircraft worked; all this information is online. He also would need to read a bit of theory on navigation, but that is also possible. The hardest aspects of piloting an aircraft are actually all of the procedures and aviation law / flight rules and entry / exit from airports, radio call procedure, weather, NOTAM etc, which I assume he did not care about in the slightest, it is likely that he didn't pay too much attention to fuel calculations, weight and balance, pre-flight safety checks and a few other things that make flying safer, but don't proclude anyone who is suitably wreckless and may not care about from getting airborne or even landing somewhere. (It is actually closer to how early pioneers of aviation flew). I think it is a huge risk for someone to fly an aircraft with so little experience, but if you just want to get airborne and carelessly follow a compass heading and then land somewhere, a single engine Cesna is actually not that hard to do this in if you fly during daylight on a clear day. My point is; learning to be a propper pilot from scratch has a fairly big learning curve, particularly navigation withough daylight / visibility, but reclessly getting a signle engine airborne is not difficult, only slightly different to what most people who drive a car are used to doing, once in the air, airoplanes just plane along in whatever direction you point them, if you trim the controls, it is less effort than operating a car for most of a flight.

[@jaspervlogt3843]

Thats just epic. Honestly, I would have let him have that pilot licence, he has probven an able pilot.

[@parabellum4785]

I'm assuming you meant "proven to be". No hate (especially since I just liked your comment lol), I just thought I'd let you know. :)

[@jaspervlogt3843]

@@parabellum4785 Yeah, i must have missed that. Thank you for correcting me :)

[@Ggdivhjkjl]

Wonderful to see so much support for a troubled young man trying to find his way.

[@korganrocks3995]

All the way to the Bahamas even... ;)

[@3uni6]

0:25 A true crime in England 😂😂

[@darenmiller2218]

That’s really cool. I live in Bloomington IN and had no idea he stole from here.

[@stevemikellides5711]

My first thoughts were, that poor boy was let down so badly at critical stages of his life, first and having most impact his parents, but then multiple visits from social services?? That's awful, the very people charged with his protection and well being! imagine what he'd have been capable of in a loving nurturing environment. I'm genuinely pleased that the prosecution took his beginning into account and when I got to the part about the lawyer I couldn't stop smiling what a wonderful human being ❤️ great video today bud thank you. So glad it had a happy ending 😊

[@philbarrett3739]

2:32 "Funny how" 👌🏽 One of the greatest movie quotes of all time.

[@micropanda99]

Nice touch for adding our police uniform in the chase, just needed a red thin stripe and it would've been accurate!

[@stephenowens3687]

Very cinematic! I can almost see it in my head!

[@pepper10v3r2]

Ok but thoughty2 looks so good, and his way of telling stories about history is really good too. It makes you want to keep watching.

[@charlesfoster9530]

I was 19 years old and in prison when all this started happening. I was rooting hard for that kid.

[@betterhansin]

@Obese Orangutan With Hand Saw True, this kid stealing thousands of dollars from people yet they people im this comment section are supporting him.

[@sugar4140]

​@Obese Orangutan With Hand Saw yeah 🤔

[@lilianaghinuelao7864]

@Half-Starved Bin Chicken yeah maybe thats why he mentioned it, because its was relevant...

[@Cyberz_Gurls]

@Prince Woke With 100 Million Tax Payers Dollars bro i bet your name is worse damn you

[@Cyberz_Gurls]

@Prince Woke With 100 Million Tax Payers Dollars bro your name sounds like a glow stick bruh

[@uncarbonatedwater]

Honestly, what a great story. A troubled kid learning skills he needing to use for survival, and using it for wrong. Honestly, what a talented kid. He stole 5 planes? With no prior knowledge of how to fly one. Of course I do not support the kind of stuff he did, but that really is insane to imagine one kid doing. Not to mention, he got a job and is now a working member of society. Honestly, good for him. I'm happy he is bettering himself.

[@potatoeoverlord9430]

We let kids down so bad sometimes. You have a kid who keeps having social services called out to his home, and when you catch him stealing food and blankets, what do you do? Stick him in juvie for a bit, of course. That'll fix him, right? Imagine how much crime could be avoided by showing kids kindness instead of treating them as little criminals when they're clearly not being taken care of at home.

[@davesykes1966]

5:52 You said Western Canada but Colton's avatar clearly goes East :P What a great story though. Going to look more into it. Love your videos.

[@Turrican60]

One of the very best stories you've ever related, Thoughty...and even better that it had a reasonably happy ending :-)

[@TheExigency]

You talked about this kids family environment like that's not every other house in the south lmao. If I had a dollar for every "Go past this point and you'll get shot" sign, I could retire now

[@HelenBradford1978]

I lived on Camano island a few years ago .. I don't think there is any trailer parks there now .. now it's a fancy golf course community now .. super expensive but so pretty