SARASOTA COUNTY — A man was arrested Tuesday after he crashed a vehicle he stole and then fled to a mangrove island.

According to the city of Venice, Sarasota County Sheriff's Office deputies and Venice Police Department officers responded early Tuesday to a report of a crashed vehicle at Albee Farm and Laurel roads and that a person had run into the woods. Venice Police Lt. Eric Hill reported they found a crashed van that had been stolen from a Venice business.

Officials at nearby Laurel Nokomis School were notified and the Sheriff's Office helicopter was dispatched. Authorities found James W. Stansberry Jr., 53, hiding in a mangrove island in a waterway. Two boats were dispatched and Stansberry was arrested at about 10 a.m. He is a subcontractor for the business that reported the stolen van, according to the city.

The case is under investigation, and felony charges are expected, Hill said.