This story is just breaking and deserves a special mention.
Police identify woodsman (Don, that’s called a “hyperlink”)
Man tells police he has lived in woods for past 20 years
Buried in the thick woods of northern Warren County, 2 miles from the nearest road, was a testament to human adaptability.
A tarp-covered lean-to loaded with clothing, sleeping bags and provisions — items believed to have been stolen from seasonal homes around the Brant Lake region — was his residence, at least for the last several months.
The man police believe endured the elements of the Adirondacks in a pine-branch shelter was Alan G. Como, 56, whose last known address was in Massachusetts, police said. He told police he’d lived in the woods for the past 20 years.
This guy had been breaking in and burglarizing camps for gear - for 20 years!! Seems he started near Chazy Lake and began moving south after he was detected.
Big and muscular with little fat on his body, police said he is in remarkably good shape for someone his age who has apparently lived in the woods for at least several years.
“He’s a pro. He knows what he’s doing,” Cleveland said.
Only items needed for survival — clothes, sleeping bags, food and batteries — were taken during the burglaries, with the thief leaving behind valuables like jewelry and electronics, the sheriff said.
Here’s the best account of his capture:
For over a year, Warren County Sheriffs Deputies and State Police have been looking for a man living in camps in the middle of the woods, stealing items here and there from camps in northern Warren County.
“A lot of people seen him and whatnot, but they just weren’t able to catch up to him,” says Paul Smith, with the Horicon Highway Department.
Until Wednesday, the arrest of 59-year-old Alan Como came on the heels of a Tuesday morning tip from two Horicon snowplow operators who saw something that just did not look right.
“2:30 in the morning, somebody is out on a bicycle and there is two-inches of snow on the road…something is going on,” says Mark Younes, with the Horicon Highway Department.
There was a bike trail in the snow that the plows followed along their route.
“I finally tracked him out on to Pallisades Road, which eventually leaded to Beaver Pond Road,” Younes says. “Then that was the end of my route, and one of the other plow guys picked the track up from there.”
The plow operator followed the tracks in the snow until they went over the snow bank and left the road.
“They sent up some investigators…Mark and I went up to show them where he went over the bank, and they took it from there,” says Smith.
After two days of scouring the woods, on Wednesday, deputies found Como’s latest campsite.
“(It was) about two-miles in, way back in the deep woods…(we) spooked this guy out of his place,” says Warren County Sheriff Larry Cleveland.
Then, a nearly two-mile foot chase ensued, until Como ran into uniformed officers waiting for him.
I don’t know what to make of this. Sort of reminds me of famous Adirondack hermits of the past and even some people I know who live in “houses”.
Noah John Rondeau, Adirondack hermit
Life With Noah: Stories and Adventures of Richard Smith
More:
Adirondack Bushman Charged With Mischief
Look, I don’t support what this guy has done, but this story is sounding more like First Blood than a case-study in law-enforcement and prosecution. They are hitting him with a felony count based on the estimated value of a tree.
Screwed: Adirondack Beaver Pond Hermit Alan Como
We’re certainly not condoning a hermit’s theft of minor items from isolated camps. That’s a crime that should be punished. But the Beaver Pond Hermit case is a clear signal that if you choose to live outside the boundaries of mainstream society, you may find yourself a target for the police state.
Which one of us is this?
Not me… but what I dont get is if he is so good at living in the woods, why did he resort to stealing peoples camping equipment… and batteries for crying out loud?
Burglary victim: Mountain man shouldn’t be idolized
Como’s appearance in Horicon Town Court was brief Wednesday afternoon. Wearing a black-and-white jail jumpsuit and blue denim jacket, his legs and hands were bound with manacles and handcuffs.
Warren County Sheriff Has A File On You
According to Cleveland, his department has access to your tax records, they know who your relatives are, if you hold any licenses, and your prior addresses - all pretty well expected, but they apparently have ANOTHER 20 PAGES of your life stored away somewhere as well.
Police trace the murky trail of a mountain man
After three years — winters and all — in the rugged southern Adirondacks, Como, 56, has a new indoor home in Cell 21 of Pod C in the Warren County Jail.
Alan Como, throwback or futurist? at greenInk
Here’s hoping Mr. Como will get out of jail soon, lift a good sleeping bag and a tent on his way out of town, and disappear into the woods again.
Audio Program about Modern Hoboes
Gerry talks to some of the dwindling number of modern day hoboes and visits the National Hobo Convention in Iowa. via boingboing.net
Man formerly living in Clinton County woods arrested for burglary
The woodsman … told State Police …he was living deep in the woods near Chazy Lake about two winters ago. … several local residents reported unusual camp break-ins where the thief took only basic household and clothing necessities, leaving behind ite
Bushman’ lives in Adirondacks for 20 years :: SuperTopo
“Thoreau was a bum who lived on handouts from neighbors.”
SU: adirondackbasecamp.com/2007/01/adirondack-bushman/
“This guy is my new hero.”
Mountain Hermit Caught by Police - ShortNews
“I had no idea it was open season on Mountain Hermits. Does anyone know what the limit is? And I just have to ask, how do they taste?”
Man tells police he has lived in woods for past 20 years - Adirondack Forum
“It is simple. he’s a thief. Doesn’t make any difference what he did or didn’t steal. the mans a thief, by definition and by law.” “And I’d appreciate it if you’d chill out while replying to my posts, boss!”
“Bushman” Caught in the Adirondaks - after 20 years
My guess is, his trial + incarceration will cost five times more than the total cost of the items he stole over those 20 years…
Bushcraft skills? - Adirondack Forum
I would like to learn how to identify and prepare edible wild plants, start fires with a bow and make cordage from barks and herbaceous plants. Other skills like building shelter, container fabrication and snare setting would be cool to learn also.
Our Father
I will not lie when I tell you that all my stereotypical images of what a “drop-out” would look like were personified in the incarcerated visage of one Alan G. Como.
Adirondack Bushman - BushcraftUK: Community
20 years in the woods is a long time! I suspect there are a lot more people living like this in developed countries. They should let him go!
French Louie’s old camp on Pillsbury? - Adirondack Forum
Alan Como only had to find the right audience to become a legend like French Louie. Wrong time and place.
How much info should be shared - Adirondack Forum
Modern-day French Louie? Or a homeless guy with skills?
A new “hermit”? - ADKHighPeaks Forums
ADKHighPeaks Forums - Discussion
26 responses so far ↓
1 maxconfus // Jan 12, 2007 at 3:09 pm
I wonder if this person is a criminal or just trying to find a way to live? Yes, he is alleged to be a criminal at this point and it may very well turn out to be that he is guilty but I was wondering if he was living off the land of sorts.
2 Mobo // Jan 12, 2007 at 3:54 pm
I think I could live forever in the woods if I had enough cream-of-wheat.
3 cazart // Jan 12, 2007 at 5:53 pm
“I think I could live forever in the woods if I had enough cream-of-wheat.”
And TiVo.
4 hakky // Jan 12, 2007 at 6:44 pm
Let him go you bastards.
5 Mike G // Jan 12, 2007 at 7:04 pm
Hey BooBoo!
6 poh // Jan 12, 2007 at 11:39 pm
Yeah let him go, at least he is living clean. Ten times more then us. Should arrest the cops.
7 cameron // Jan 12, 2007 at 11:48 pm
Nice, this reminds me of a fantastic book I read in school called
My Side of the Mountain
people are often amazing
8 Pablo // Jan 13, 2007 at 1:38 am
So, I guess riding your bike thru the snow in the middle of the night is a crime now in this wonderful “land of the free” — kinda like that time I got hauled in (”protective custody,” they call it)for walking home with a chicken sandwich at 2am a few years back…
With no hard evidence linking this guy to the burglaries, he should get off, maybe with a “modest” fine for trespassing.
These armed “civil servants” are nothing more than “revenooers”strongarming money out of people under the guise of “law and order”.
Sad times in the land of the fee and home of the slave…
9 Kyle Armbruster // Jan 13, 2007 at 3:01 am
You said it, Pablo.
10 Frank // Jan 13, 2007 at 4:11 am
Bravo to this man.
Technically, he has committed crimes, stealing food and clothes etc, but really they are not serious ones, he is certainly not a danger to the public, so should not be punished with a custodial sentence. I don’t think they should even record a conviction, just let him go with a warning.
I’m sure his skills in living off the land could be put to use though, he could take people out to the woods and show them how to rough it and survive, people will pay money for that, and then he can afford to supply his own provisions, so his lifestyle can continue.
11 budsikle // Jan 13, 2007 at 5:05 am
““2:30 in the morning, somebody is out on a bicycle and there is two-inches of snow on the road…something is going on,” says Mark Younes, with the Horicon Highway Department.”
^^ thats some fukd up shit. oh noes someone is riding a bike at night arrest him he must be criminal!
12 TourPro // Jan 13, 2007 at 8:22 am
“With no hard evidence linking this guy to the burglaries…”
I think they caught the guy wearing stolen property. The pants had the name of a burglary victim. Of course, it is possible he found them on one of his nightly hammer sessions.
13 Rob B // Jan 13, 2007 at 11:05 am
It was probably the IRS wanting back taxes…
14 Just 2 Clarify // Jan 13, 2007 at 11:20 am
Just to be precise, what spooked them was that the bike tracks went over the edge of the road. Could’ve been someone riding a bike that went over the edge, that’s when/why they called in for assistance from the police. Don’t jump to conclusions.
15 tndal // Jan 13, 2007 at 1:24 pm
Who knows? Maybe he was capturing and frying up baby butts for breakfast. We’ll find out in due time.
He certainly wasn’t “living off the land” otherwise he wouldn’t need batteries, camp equipment, etc.
A real dirtbagger would trap animals, wear fur, quietly pass through the woods and carry a copy of Ralph Waldo Emerson’s writings. In contrast, this guy was wearing jeans and riding a bicycle down a snow-covered road. You need an air pump to fill up bicycle tires! That IMO is hardly “roughing it”.
He’s an asocial parasite, probably mentally disturbed, but obviously in good physical shape: a 2-mile run in which he outpaced the “dogs of the proletariat” shows what living alone can do for you.
16 wckd // Jan 13, 2007 at 11:39 pm
Our border patrols are being sent to jail for protecting our border from drug trafficking and we’re harassing an old man who seems dangerous because he’s riding a bike in the snow at 2am, yeah, that sounds reasonable.
17 mars // Jan 15, 2007 at 1:00 am
If the old man’s a theif, then lock his grizzly butt up. Just cos he reminds you hayseeds of grandpa you are all soft on him. who wnta some creepy guy sneaking into my cottage steealing my batteries that I bought with my hard-earned. If he was black you’d be saying theey shouldve shot him and junk. friggin hayseds stick together thick as horseshit.
18 Stan Spire // Jan 15, 2007 at 5:10 pm
Hey, Tour Pro -
I came across the link to this story at Boing Boing. Good job on covering the story, but I think you have a problem with your lay out. I’ve checked this page on two different computers and with both the headline and the article are separated by a lot of gray space in the middle column. If you don’t scroll way down, you would think the article was missing.
By the way, a couple of months ago I found a comment that you left at my blogspot site - a comment from June, 2006! In case you were wondering, I wasn’t snubbing you — it’s just that freakin’ blogger never notificed me via email that your comment was waiting in the Comments Moderation bin.
Best,
Stan Spire
19 TourPro // Jan 15, 2007 at 8:28 pm
Stan, the Man!
“…covering the story,” - Yikes, makes me almost sound like a journalist.
I haven’t seen issues with the blog - anyone else? Send me a note if you find anything. Thanks.
20 snouterhound // Jan 17, 2007 at 12:10 am
Hey Mars,
That’s a good Idea! We should lock him up at the cost to taxpayers of only $30,000 a year! Much cheaper than batteries and bicycle parts, eh?
Oh and by the way - he was in the Adirondacks, which is in fact, “Hayseed Country” so why don’t you save your witty urbanite banter for your homies down at the shelter?
21 Phil // Jan 18, 2007 at 6:41 pm
Cause you know, a guy who breaks the law, breaks into homes, and steals things from them is obviously above the LAW. The cops were just doing their job by investigating a report (that could have been called in because they were worried about the bike person’s safety) and detaining a criminal. And Pablo, who do you call when someone breaks into your house, when someone mugs you?
22 Kylark // Jan 20, 2007 at 11:48 pm
If the civilization we live in hadn’t forcibly separated every human being from their natural livelihood (i.e., living off the land), maybe this man wouldn’t have been forced to live like a criminal.
I think the people concerned about their “hard-earned” are secretly resentful.
23 Jeff // Jan 22, 2007 at 7:01 pm
If this guy had ANY survival skills he 1. wouldn’t be raiding homes for food and clothing,and 2. wouldn’t have gotten caught. Just a homeless thief.
24 CJ // Jan 23, 2007 at 4:07 pm
You know, I have survival skills, I have spent lots of my “hard earned,” to learn these skills, and years practicing them. The first rule in survival situations, conservation of energy. SO what am I going to do in the middle of winter in the adaroundacks? Search for the perfict tree limb or sapling, spend time harvisting that item, carving it, shaving it, tillering it, and finally after days and possably weeks of hard, carful work, finish the Bow, or spear or whatever, only to have to make a bow string, or spearhead, and possably arrows and arrowheads. And then after all that, hunt down a deer or turkey or bear or whatever and hope that I have done everything right and the weapon dosn’t break so that I can kill the animal quickly and efficently? By that time I am eating tree bark just to say alive! Or am I going to sneak and break into cotages that are used seasonaly by people who have more money than brains,(And I know I am generalizing) and no real respect for the wilderness or they wouldn’t put the buildings their in the first place, and take the things that they leave behind, the things that they don’t care enough about to keep with them, clothing, food, bedding, etc… Ultamitly the secon is the more attractive option, survivalisticly, and I mean get REAL, these things are just possesions, material things that have about as much worth as toilet paper in the long run.
IS a Sleeping bag, or food, or clothing in any amount worth a mans freedom? I don’t think so. By all means do not condone the theft, but forgive it, and allow the man to make amends if possable, or just allow him to dissapear again. It is not like he was killing people and eating them.
~CJ~
25 Hardscrabble // Feb 5, 2007 at 9:42 am
A note to Mr. Como, You have alternatives to stealing!
You can obtain food at many churches, cheap gear at yard sales or Salvation Army. Trade, barter but stealing takes away the admiration if not the respect you should have obtained with what you accomplished.
Good luck and if you are ever in my neck of the woods I won’t miss a few veggies from the garder, just do a little weeding while your there!
26 Living in Collapse (The Anthropik Network) // Jun 15, 2007 at 2:15 pm
[...] in the western half of North America where it is difficult to exert control; even in the east, one man was able to live in the Adirondacks for 20 years before he was caught. These spaces will grow as civilization collapses, and that growing alternative will provide one of [...]
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