Virginia Beach, Va. - Michael Bowyer confessed to everything. He says he stole multiple cars throughout the state last week, then took a boat in an attempt to elude police.
"I know this probably isn't a good idea because I'm not very familiar with how boats operate but maybe I'll be able to figure out how to get this thing running," Bowyer said.
He never got the boat started so he decided to jump into the Back Bay where he swam to the Outer Banks.
"If I ditched the boat, if it's found in the middle of the water, or it's found beached somewhere, there may be assumptions that I'm out there drowning," Bowyer said. "So if I actually make it to shore that gives me a bit more leeway to move. "
Bowyer blames his crimes on not taking his bipolar medication.
"I've been exceedingly manic in the last month," Bowyer said.
Bowyer is from Roanoke and says he's been unfairly targeted by police there.
"I was basically going to get forced out of town or put in jail," Bowyer said.
Last Saturday he says he stole a car in western Virginia and headed east. He crashed it in Chesapeake, and police there brought him to the Creeds section of Virginia Beach.
He admits to stealing a car Thursday morning from a home he thought was a small dealership.
"If I had assumed that was a residence, I wouldn't have. I would have not gone onto that property," Bowyer said. "But it looked to be like a business."
He left a note for the owner.
"I'm sorry for the trouble I've caused you, I'm just trying to survive," Patrick Dixon, one of Bowyer's car theft victims said.
He took off in the stolen ride to the Knotts Island ferry, and was chased by Currituck County Sheriffs. Bowyer got away, and stole a boat, but didn't get it far after being spotted by some commercial fisherman.
Instead of continuing his run from the cops on the Outer Banks, he's locked up with a lot of regrets.
"I didn't really want to have to be put in a situation to do some of the things I did," Bowyer said.
Related:
Man steals two cars, boat trying to dodge police
Car, boat thief found drifting in Back Bay after eluding police
