'Barefoot Bandit' sentenced to 78 months for federal crimes
SEATTLE -- A Seattle federal judge on Friday sentenced Colton Harris-Moore to 78 months, or six-and-a half years, in prison for crimes he committed during a two-year international crime spree, to run concurrent with his state sentence.
The 20-year-old pleaded guilty last month and was sentenced to seven years in prison for his state crimes.
Federal prosecutors had asked for a six-and-a-half year federal term to be served while he serves his state time. Harris-Moore's attorneys had requested a federal term of less than six years.
Though the federal and state sentences will be served concurrently, it's an open question whether Harris-Moore will get "credit for time served" for the time he spent in custody awaiting trial and for time served under a juvenile court sentence. Judge Richard Jones said Friday that it will be up to the federal Bureau of Prisons whether to credit Harris-Moore with the time served.
The judge also urged that Harris-Moore's time be served in a state corrections facility, rather than a federal facility. It's likely that he will serve his time at the state prison in Monroe, and the state's formula for calculating credit for "good time" (what is sometime referred to as "time off for good behavior" while in prison) is more favorable to him.
KING 5's Eric Wilkinson is at the Seattle federal courthouse and giving updates on the court proceedings on Twitter. Read his updates below.
Harris-Moore hopscotched his way across the United States, authorities said. He flew a plane stolen in northwestern Washington to the San Juan Islands, stole a pistol in British Columbia and took a plane from Idaho to Washington state, stole a boat in southwestern Washington to go to Oregon, and took a plane in Indiana and flew to the Bahamas, where was arrested.
He earned his nickname because he committed several of the crimes without wearing shoes.
Harris-Moore apologized to his victims shortly before U.S. Judge Richard Jones imposed the sentence, which will be served concurrently with state prison time.
"I now know a crime that took place overnight will take years to recover from," the 20-year-old said in court.
He particularly apologized for stealing planes, saying his arrogance led him to keep alive his dream of flying.
"What I did could be called daring, but it is no stretch of the imagination to say that am lucky to be alive ... absolutely lucky," he said. "I should have died years ago."
Before Friday's sentencing, defense attorneys said federal prosecutors released cherry-picked excerpts from emails in an effort to make Harris-Moore appear callous and self-aggrandizing.
He called the Island County sheriff "king swine," called prosecutors "fools," and referred to reporters as "vermin." He also described his feats -- stealing and flying planes with no formal training -- "amazing" and said they were unmatched by anyone except the Wright brothers.
But Harris-Moore's lawyers claim the full emails show that he is sorry for what he did and thankful for the treatment he received from a state judge who called his case a "triumph of the human spirit." The state judge sentenced him last month to seven years, at the low end of the sentencing range.
The attorneys acknowledged that in certain instances he bragged, but they said those writings were simply the product of an impulsive adolescent and don't reflect his true remorse.
In court Friday, the judge asked Harris-Moore to speak to young people who may look up to him because of his exploits.
"I would say to younger people they should focus on their education, which is what I am doing right now," he said. "I want to start a company. I want to make a difference in this world, legally."
Looking for wife's lover, soldier shoots up wrong houseOLYMPIA, Wash. -- A Joint Base Lewis-McChord soldier returns home from war and discovers his wife is having an affair. Prosecutors say he then went on a jealous rampage and opened fire on a house. But he made one big mistake. It was the wrong house.
Thurston County prosecutors say the 25-year-old soldier was drunk and mad New Year's night.
He'd found the name of the guy his wife was cheating with and Googled him. He got an address and headed there, gun loaded.
"I kinda ducked a little bit and I looked out the front window," said neighbor William Koutrouba. "I kinda heard a crack, crack, crack."
Koutrouba knows the difference between firecrackers and gunfire. The Army vet woke up early News Year's morning to gunshots hitting his next door neighbor's house.
Gun shots riddled the house eight or nine times, and there's a baby there.
Thurston County prosecutors say it was a 25-year-old JBLM Special Forces soldier who just returned home from Iraq a few weeks ago.
And he wasn't aiming for the house with the baby. Prosecutors say he was trying for the house behind it--the one where his wife's lover lives.
The soldier is being held on $100,000 bail, and his wife, also in courtroom, told us she knew nothing about this until her husband was arrested.
"Get your surveillance straight, get the right house you little gang banger," said Koutrouba.
Koutrouba was surprised to hear the suspect is in the military. He knows what it feels like to come home and things are different, but this is not the way to deal with it.
"Shame on you young man. I know lots of military men that would be saying the same thing," said Koutrouba.
Police tracked down the soldier a few blocks away. He'd crashed his car and was arrested for DUI.
Babysitter accused of pouring detergent on 'evil' babyFEDERAL WAY, Wash. -- Federal Way Police have arrested a woman for allegedly pouring laundry detergent on an infant she was babysitting.
The babysitter, identified in court papers as Mabinty Williams, was babysitting a four-week-old baby for a family friend at an Federal Way apartment complex on January 10.
A neighbor said Williams knocked on her door around noon and told her a story about an "evil" baby.
"She just knocked on our door, told us there was a random baby in her house and she didn't know where it came from," said the neighbor, who did not want to be identified. "And so we called the cops, and then she said it looked evil."
"She asked if we wanted to come see it, but we just said no and shut the door," added the neighbor.
Instead, they immediately called police. When officers arrived, they found a four-week-old baby with a pile of white powder dumped on its face.
"Instead of reaching out and getting some help, she used chemicals and salt and things like that to pour on the baby," said Cathy Schrock with Federal Way Police.
In court documents filed in King County Superior Court, Federal Way Police say Williams put laundry booster on the baby. The infant could be heard gasping for air as officers wiped away the white powder.
"We are just really happy the neighbor took the initiative to call 911 and get us there as quickly as possible," said Schrock. "I think early intervention with the child is what saved her."
The baby was rushed to the hospital. A doctor reported the infant suffered apparent chemical burns to the mouth and eyes. As of Thursday, the infant's condition was improving.
"Everything looks like it will heal and not have lasting damage," said Schrock.
According to court documents, the baby had only been in Williams' care for about four hours before police arrived. During that time period, she reportedly called her husband 16 times, telling him she needed his help. He did come home at one point, fed the baby and returned to work. A short time later, the police were called and the baby was found in bad condition.
Williams has denied wrongdoing. She is currently in police custody and is due in court later this month.
KING 5's Natalie Swaby contributed to this report.
Babysitter charging documents
70 cats removed from camper in Wash.AUBURN, Wash. -- More than 70 cats living in a small camper in Auburn were seized Thursday evening by animal authorities.
King County Animal Control services counted 74 cats and one dog inside Jerry Reynolds' camper on the back of his small pick-up truck.
The camper was called into police after a neighbor reported it parked near a medical center.
Reynolds, who said he is a breeder from Moses Lake, said he has been living in the camper for the last five weeks, wanting to be closer to his girlfriend who is in the hospital.
Reynolds said he had no other choice but to take the cats with him in the camper.
"It was better than letting them go," he said.
Reynolds knew the name of almost every cat he handed to animal control authorities.
Each cat was removed placed in carriers to be examined by veterinarians. When carriers ran out, some cats had to go two in one carrier.
It is unknown when or if the cats may be allowed up for adoption.
For information on adopting a pet from King County Regional Animal Services visit their website.
KING 5 Photojournalist Ryan Coe contributed to this report.
Ore. woman gives birth, not realizing she was pregnantESTACADA, Ore. -- An Estacada woman had a baby girl Sunday, but when she went into labor, she didn't even know she was pregnant.
Baby "Angel" Faith was born unexpectedly, weighing 6 lbs. 7oz. and measuring 17.5 inches, as first reported by The Estacada Eagle.
Mom Donna Tenbush, 26, said she had no idea she was expecting and started feeling what she called 'menstrual type cramps' and an aching back. She said the stomach pain worsened, and a friend was trying to help her lie down when all the sudden, the baby started coming out.
While all of this was going on, her father, Frank Tenbush called 9-1-1. Here is an excerpt from that call:
Frank Tenbush: "I guess it's about ready to come out right now."
Dispatcher: "So, her belly was really big?"
Frank Tenbush: "No, it wasn't."
Dispatcher: "Okay, that's what I'm, saying. How far, how many months pregnant, do we know?"
Frank Tenbush: "No. We didn't even know she was pregnant until right now!"
The Estacada Fire Department was on the way, while the friend and Donna's family did everything they could to help. Angel has two older sisters - ages seven and 10 - who also helped out.
Then, once emergency crews arrived, Both Donna and Angel were flown in a LifeFlight helicopter to a local hospital. They were examined and doctors said both were in good condition.
Once the baby is ready to leave the hospital, Donna and the girls will continue to live with her parents at their apartment in Estacada.
Just last November, a Portland woman also gave birth without realizing she was pregnant. In that case, Kim Nelson said she though her appendix had burst and was rushed to the hospital. She had a healthy baby girl at the hospital, who she named Paige.
3.4 quake hits just north of Mount St. HelensSEATTLE -- A magnitude 3.4 earthquake occurred at 2:51 a.m. Wednesday about 10 miles north of Mount St. Helens.
The Pacific Northwest Seismic Network reports mild shaking was felt in Longview, Castle Rock and Morton.
The University of Washington reports the quake was followed by a half-dozen small aftershocks in the next hour.
Small quakes are common in the area around the volcano in southwest Washington.
Emmett woman dies in rollover crash on I-84BAKER CITY, Ore. -- Oregon State Police say weather may have played a factor in a deadly crash on Interstate 84, north of Baker City on Tuesday afternoon.
OSP Lieutenant Dave McManiman said it was snowing hard, with snow and ice on the roadway just after 12:30 p.m., when 61-year-old Christine McAllister of Emmett was driving westbound on I-84, lost control of her pickup truck and rolled off the road.
OSP said McAllistar died on the scene and that she was using safety restraints.
As more winter storms blow into Eastern Oregon, troopers remind you to be prepared for extreme conditions.
OSP is continuing to investigate.
'Barefoot Bandit' emails ridicule law enforcementSEATTLE, Wash. -- New federal court documents say the "Barefoot Bandit" ridiculed police and prosecutors in emails he sent from prison, undercutting his claims that he's sorry for his two-year crime spree.
In emails that Colton Harris-Moore wrote recently, he referred to Island County Sheriff Mark Brown as the "king swine," called prosecutors who handled his case fools, and referred to news reporters as vermin. He bragged about his two-year crime spree, saying that his flying accomplishments were "amazing" and unmatched by anyone except the Wright brothers.
Harris-Moore was sentenced last month in state court to seven years. He'll be sentenced on Friday for his federal crimes. The U.S. attorney's office is seeking six-and-a-half years, the longest sentence possible under Harris-Moore's plea deal. Harris-Moore's attorneys have asked for a sentence of just under six years.
Wolf sanctuary shuts down after devastating storm damageTENINO, Wash. -- The 82 acres are home to almost 50 wolves. Most of them rescued from private owners and sometimes horrific situations.
"Being able to bring them here and watch them thrive and be able to live out their lives in sanctuary is really rewarding," says Wendy Spencer, animal curator at Wolf Haven International in Tenino.
But last week, this sanctuary turned into a maelstrom of falling trees and collapsing fence lines.
"[The wolves] were so busy dodging falling limbs that they were ripping around and trying to stay out of harms way," says Spencer. "So it was really really scary for them.
Only three enclosures escaped damage. The fiber optic surveillance system is also down. The final bill for repairs could be over 50 thousand dollars.
"For a small non-profit like this, those things are devastating to us," says Diane Gallegos, executive director.
Wolf Haven International is also part of a federal species survival breeding program. With February being breeding month, Gallegos is worried they won't get their habitats cleaned up and back to normal in time.
For more information about Wolf Haven International and how to help, here is a link to their website.
Dead whales, sea lion wash up near Long Beach PeninsulaLONG BEACH, Wash. – Two whales washed up along the Long Beach Peninsula after high winds and heavy surf slammed the Oregon and Washington coastlines this past week.
A sperm whale and a baby gray whale were found dead along the beach, along with one stellar sea lion.
Experts will be conducting necropsies to determine what killed the mammals.
Several birds were also found dead on the beach and two were alive, but injured.
The Marine Mammal Stranding Network rescued the two birds that were hurt during the storm. Officials said those birds would be rehabilitated and then re-released back into the wild.
Governor Otter holds town hall meeting to discuss closure of mine SILVER VALLEY, Idaho -- Idaho Governor Butch Otter held a town hall meeting in the Silver Valley Monday to discuss the recent closure of the Lucky Friday Mine.
Dozens were on hand to talk about the affect the shut down has had on the community.
At the meeting people shared their concerns about how the mine closure is affecting them, and asked the Governor to stand up to the federal government.
Laid off workers from the Lucky Friday, community members, and business owners all voiced their concern to governor butch otter. Among them were the pleas to have the governor reach out to the federal mine safety and health administration to re-address the Lucky Friday’s closure.
More than 200 miners and contractors were laid off earlier this month when MSHA shut down the mine to clean a major shaft.
Governor Otter says he's already taking the next step to get the government to hear what the Silver Valley has to say.
The Governor also met with the leaders of Hecla mining company. The Governor tells us Hecla has resources in place to put people back to work once the mine opens up.
Wash. teen who faked pregnancy shares her story YAKIMA, Wash. -- A Washington state teenager who faked her pregnancy for a senior class project is promoting a new book that details the experience.
Gaby Rodriguez of Toppenish, Wash. earned headlines last April when she announced at a high school assembly that she had worn a faux baby bump for months to explore stereotypes about teen pregnancy.
Only a handful of people were in on the secret. The project drew praise from people who credited her for addressing such a serious topic, and criticism from others who lashed out at her for lying.
The book explores her reasons for taking on the project, including the teen pregnancies of her mother and sisters. A movie about the experience premieres Jan. 28 on the Lifetime movie network.
20-foot waves threaten some Washington coastal citiesABERDEEN, Wash. -- The National Weather Service says 20-foot waves and high tides threaten some communities on the Washington coast.
Forecasters say they threaten severe erosion of the jetty protecting La Push and the lower Quileute tribal village during high tide around noon Monday.
During high tide Sunday water covered sidewalks in Westport near the marina. But, City Administrator Randy Lewis told KBKW water didn't appear to get into buildings.
Rescuers 'optimistic' in search for 4 missing on Mount Rainier MOUNT RAINIER NATIONAL PARK, Wash. -- With weather conditions deteriorating and darkness looming, rescuers concluded their search Sunday for four overdue climbers and campers on Mount Rainier.
Park spokeswoman Patti Wold said the search will resume Monday, dependent on weather and avalanche conditions. She said searchers didn't find signs of the parties, but "we're optimistic, so we'll keep searching."
She said an Army Reserve Chinook helicopter got into the air briefly Sunday morning to help but poor visibility led them to return. She's hopeful an aerial search could be conducted Monday.
Park officials say there has been no sign of the two teams of overdue parties on the mountain.
A party of two, Mark Vucich, 37 of San Diego, CA and Michelle Trojanowski, 30, of Atlanta, GA, planning to winter camp on the Muir Snowfield over the weekend was due out on Sunday, January 15. A second party of two climbers, Sork (Erik) Yang, 52, of Springfield, OR, and Seol Hee Jin, 52, from Korea, on a summit attempt via the Disappointment Cleaver route was due back Monday, January 16.
Over the last week, ground search teams have encountered 30 - 60+ mph winds, whiteout conditions, ice crusted snow, and snow depths 10 to 15 feet with drifts up to 50 feet.
Searchers are highly skilled mountaineers who are familiar with the party's intended route and in mitigating avalanche danger in the area.
Coast Guard closes 3 river bars in OR, WAASTORIA, Ore. -- The Coast Guard is closing several river bars in Washington and Oregon and to all vessels because of hazardous conditions Sunday.
Coast Guard officials in Seattle and Astoria, Ore., are closing the bars at Quillayute River in Washington, as well as Siuslaw River and Depoe Bay in Oregon.
The Coast Guard says it will re-open the waterways as soon as offshore weather improves.
Devastation revealed as Oregon flood waters recedeTURNER, Ore. -- With flood waters receding, residents began taking stock of damage in soaked cities across the Willamette Valley as officials warned that more rain was coming, along with powerful winds that could rip trees from saturated soil.
Gov. John Kitzhaber paid a visit to the hard-hit town of Turner, where 100 homes were damaged or still underwater. By morning, much of the water had crawled from city streets back into the creek that coughed it up.
Dry streets belied a morning of terror barely 24 hours earlier, when emergency crews conducted 55 boat rescues as water filled streets, homes and businesses.
"You just watch the water rise hour by hour, and there's nothing you can do about it," Mayor Paul Thomas said. "It's a long, slower sort of torture."
Kitzhaber praised rescue efforts and said the state would work with local and federal officials to try and get disaster funding to Turner and other communities hard-hit by flooding. Moments of adversity highlight a strong sense of community as neighbors band together to respond, the governor said.
"It's really remarkable, and I think it's a real credit to Oregonians, that they respond to help each other like this," Kitzhaber said.
Nancy Ko saw that spirit first-hand. From the safety of higher ground, she watched a live feed from a security camera as water rose over the curb and lapped against the front door of the convenience store and cafe she owns just feet from Mill Creek.
Out of the blue, five strangers showed up and plopped sandbags in front of the door, preventing damage that she believes would have otherwise been far more severe.
"Just a godsend," said Ko, a Korean immigrant who has owned the store for six years. "Good person, amazing persons."
On Friday morning, employees and friends helped Ko bleach the floors and clean up her store. Her lottery machines were ruined, but most of the merchandise was on higher shelves and was saved, she said.
A 35-year-old woman who drove a Ford Mustang into 4 feet of flood waters near Corvallis was plucked from the roof Friday by deputies who arrived by boat to rescue her.
The Mustang floated 300 feet from a road into a farm field on the west side of the rising Willamette River. The driver, Olivier Sanchez Cisneros, scrambled to the roof, and deputies summoned by a 911 call arrived more than 30 minutes later, the Benton County sheriff's office said.
It was one of a number of dramatic rescues in western Oregon, left sodden by as much as 10 inches of rain in a day and a half that brought region's worst flooding in 15 years. A young mother and her 1-year-old son died after the car they were riding in Wednesday sank in a creek.
The National Weather Service lifted flood warnings around the Santiam and Jefferson rivers but said several other rivers remained at flood stage, including the Marys, Pudding, Luckiamute and Yamhill.
Forecasters expected more rain in the valleys and snow in the mountains through the weekend. Strong winds also were expected. Authorities said winds could topple trees from saturated soil, potentially blocking roads or knocking out power.
The American Red Cross had four shelters open Friday evening. Marion County officials said sandbags were still available at several locations.
Deb Holbert returned to her home in Scio on Friday to find her hardwood floors still floating in the water. It was the third flood since her family moved in 15 years ago, she said, but she's pleased she was able to save her family pictures.
"In a few years," Holbert said, "this will be a memory."
Snow tips floating house on Lake Pend OreilleBAYVIEW, Idaho-- Floating home owners in Bayview, Idaho may not have to shovel sidewalks, but roofs are a different story.
A KREM 2 viewer sent us in this picture of a tilted home on Lake Pend Oreille.
An employee of Scenic Bay Marina & Motel says this is not a problem unique to this snow season, but residents must remember to address the issue every year.
He says metal roofs typically used on floating houses can make these homes colder than normal and advises remembering to turn on the heat to warm up the house. Residents will also need to shovel snow from roofs to keep the homes from tipping too far to one side.
Woman rescued from roof of submerged carCORVALLIS, Ore. -- A woman in Benton County was rescued from the top of her car after it was swept off the road and into a flooded field.
Thursday, a 911 caller reported a woman sitting on top of a partially-submerged vehicle in the 25300 block of Old River Road, in southern Benton County, according to Lt. Cord Wood of the Corvallis Police Dept.
"A 35-year-old female had driven her vehicle into water four feet deep, submerging her Ford Mustang beyond the door handles," Wood said. "Once in the water, her vehicle was swept 300 feet off the road by the current into a farm field adjacent to the road."
She had climbed out of her vehicle and waited on the roof until rescue crews arrived.
Marine patrol deputies were able to get to the victim by boat and rescue her from the roof. She was not injured.
Corvallis and Benton County officials reminded residents not to drive into high water on roadways.
Elizabeth Smart engaged, likely to marry this summerSALT LAKE CITY -- A Utah woman kidnapped at knifepoint at age 14 and held captive for nine months is getting married.
A spokesman for 24-year-old Elizabeth Smart says she got engaged last weekend and will likely marry in the summer.
No details about the groom-to-be were disclosed. The spokesman says Smart plans to keep her personal life private.
Smart's father, Ed Smart, tells The Associated Press his future son-in-law is a "fine young man." Ed Smart says he's pleased for his daughter and hopes she has a happy life.
Onetime itinerant street preacher Brian David Mitchell was convicted in 2010 of Smart's 2001 kidnapping and sexual assault. He's serving a life prison sentence.
Mom gives birth in hospital elevatorTACOMA, Wash. -- In this wintry weather, Katie Thacker, who was nine months pregnant, would have thought getting to the hospital would be the biggest challenge. But it turns out that was the easy part.
It was after they arrived at St. Joseph Medical Center in Tacoma early Wednesday morning that Katie, her nurses and midwife got stuck in an elevator.
"I was in such hard labor that I was like, 'Are you kidding me?'" Katie said Wednesday afternoon.
Her husband, Luke, was waiting to greet her on the 14th floor. But she never made it. The elevator was trapped between the 12th and 14th floors. (There is no 13th floor at the hospital.)
"I don't think she was in the elevator more than 10 or 20 minutes and I heard my son cry," Luke said.
Katie gave birth to a healthy baby boy in the elevator. It took about two more hours to get the elevator doors open, but the actual elevator was still stuck between floors, so Luke crawled down so he could cut the umbilical cord and see his baby boy.
Their new son earned the nickname Blake "The Snowflake" "Otis" Thacker. (Otis is the name of a well-known elevator company, although they were not stuck in an Otis elevator.)
"It's really not going to stick, I hope," Katie said of the nickname.