PORT CHARLOTTE — Charlotte County Sheriff’s deputies arrested a Cape Coral man after he crashed a stolen car in Port Charlotte and fled. He was tracked by K-9 and located by helicopter hiding on the roof of home. Arrested was Brandon Lee Dahl, 18, of the 3700 block Country Club Boulevard, Cape Coral. CCSO received a call at 12:02 p.m. Thursday that a 2000 BMW crashed into a palm tree, concrete wall, and an exterior air conditioning unit in the 3500 block of Harbor Boulevard, and witnesses saw the man flee. A check showed the car was stolen from Palm Beach County. CCSO K-9 began a track, and a spotter in the helicopter observed Dahl lying down on the roof of a home at in the 3500 block of Harbor Boulevard. Dahl complied with commands to get off the roof. He denied injuries but later said he felt ill and EMS was called. Dahl attempted to pull away and was taken to the ground. EMS arrived and transported him to Peace River Regional Medical Center, where he was medically cleared and taken to the Charlotte County Jail.

A check on Dahl found his driver’s license was suspended. He was charged with grand theft auto, leaving the scene of an accident with property damage, driving while license suspended and resisting an officer. He remains in jail on $4,500 bond. Damages to the BMW were reported at $12,000.