'He's like a caged animal. He's going to hurt somebody some day,' the neighbor said.
LINDENWOLD -- A neighbor who knows a teen who pleaded guilty Monday in a plot to kill Pope Francis during his 2015 trip to Philadelphia said he saw trouble coming for years.
"I said to my wife one day, 'He's like a caged animal. He's going to hurt somebody some day.' That was about a year before he got in trouble, he said Tuesday."
Santos Colon, 17, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Noel L. Hillman in Camden on Monday to a charge of attempting to provide material support to terrorists, according to court records.
Colon, also known as Ahmad Shakoor, had tried to recruit a person he thought was a sniper to join him in his plot, which involved shooting the Pope during his Papal mass and setting off explosive devices, according to a statement from Acting U.S. Attorney William E Fitzgerald and Acting Assistant Attorney General for National Security Mary B. McCord.
Authorities say the "sniper" was actually an undercover operative for the FBI, which arrested Colon after he scoped out possible targets with an informant, who Colon also instructed to purchase bomb components. He has been in custody since August 2015.
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"He has been a problem since day one," said the neighbor, who declined to give his name. "Mental. His mother kept trying to tell the father that he has problems, but the father says 'He's only a boy.' Now he's a young man in big trouble."
The neighbor, a retired train engineer, spoke on a sunny morning on his front lawn, while taking his dog for a walk in the community of rancher-style homes and tidy yards here in the 900 block of Bentley Road. He said he saw Colon grow up from 2 years old, when his family moved in.
"He hated the smell of food cooking," the neighbor said. "When his mother was cooking he would just stand outside and pace in a circle. He used to throw his sister's toys on the roof and tear out plants in his garden and ours. He seemed to have no friends. Nobody would play with him."
No one answered the door at Colon's home. Two vehicles -- an SUV and a minivan with a flat tire -- sat in the driveway in front of a rusted basketball backboard with no hoop. The yard in front of Colon's home was decorated for Easter. Multicolored plastic eggs were strewn around the lawn, along with a decorative wheel barrel filled with large colorful plastic decorated eggs and a stuffed bunny.
Another neighbor, who also declined to give his name, said Colon and his family were always quiet.
"He was very quiet," the neighbor said. "He didn't talk to nobody. I don't know if he's still away or not. But something like that he did must be serious. Why'd you want to do something to the pope? I was just shocked."
Documents filed in U.S. District Court indicate Colon was initially charged under seal as a juvenile in August 2015. His case was transferred for prosecution as an adult as part of his plea agreement with the U.S. Attorney's Office.
Under the terms of the plea deal, prosecutors have agreed not to pursue further charges against him for attempting to provide support to ISIS and attempting to obtain a weapon of mass destruction.
Colon is a U.S. citizen, according to the U.S. Attorney's Office. Prosecutors say he faces up to 15 years in prison and a $250,000 fine.
A phone call for comment Tuesday from Colon's attorney Richard Coughlin in the Federal Public Defenders Office in Camden was not immediately returned.
Bill Duhart may be reached at bduhart@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @bduhart. Find NJ.com on Facebook.