Siesta Key prowler was spotted with his pants down. He couldn’t escape deputies and a helicopter

A man with his pants halfway down around his legs in a Siesta Key carport was arrested Wednesday night with the help of the Sarasota County aviation unit after he fled from deputies, according to the sheriff’s office.

Deputies were initially called to the 5800 block of Midnight Pass Road just before 10:30 p.m. As deputies arrived, the man, 52-year-old James Runge, who is from Port Charlotte, fled on foot across nearby properties and through various carports, authorities said.

He started running when he noticed the sheriff’s helicopter spotlighting the area, the arrest report says.

Communication between ground units and the aviation unit led to Runge being located and detained. After further investigation, deputies said they identified Runge as the suspect from a similar incident in February on Siesta Key.

Runge was taken to the Sarasota County Jail and charged with trespassing, loitering and resisting an officer without violence. He was released Thursday on $2,120 bond, however, additional charges are pending, the sheriff’s office said.

He has prior arrests in Sarasota County from the 1990s for indecent exposure and prowling, deputies said.

This story was originally published March 2, 2018 at 6:06 PM with the headline "Siesta Key prowler was spotted with his pants down. He couldn’t escape deputies and a helicopter."