A Lakeland man was arrested and charged Thursday with stealing a vehicle, fleeing from police, and attempting to get away in a plane. 

  • Lakeland PD: Man steals van, flees police, jumps onto plane 
  • Gregory Hoch arrested, charged after incident
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The incident happened around 2 p.m. 

Police said Gregory Hoch, 37, stole a National Data and Surveying Services van at 3304 Harden Blvd. 

The victim, Allen Stokes, was gettimg tools out of the back of the van when Hoch jumped in the driver's seat and took off. 

Police said a witness, Gregory Mulvihill, notified law enforcement. 

Mulvihill was able to follow Hoch and report his location to police officers. 

Police said Hoch ended up running through a business, Double M Aviation, and entered the airfield owned by the City of Lakeland. 

Officials said police ordered Hoch to stop running several times, as he ran around several planes. 

Hoch ended up jumping onto the wing of a taxing 1978 Piper PA-28R Arrow that was running and preparing to taxi to the runway. 

An officer pursued Hoch onto the wing of the airplane and pulled him off as Hoch opened the plane doors. 

Both the officer and Hoch fell onto the runway. 

Hoch made a spontaneous statement saying that he was going to make the pilot take him somewhere, according to the statement. 

Hoch continued to resist arrest, police said, and was eventually taken into custody. 

Hoch was charged with grand theft, trespassing, burglary of an occupied conveyance, resisting arrest without violence.