The pilot who landed a small plane on the beach at the Coast Guard Training Center in Cape May last weekend has been arrested.

In a press release, Cape May County Prosecutor Jeffrey H. Sutherland and Cape May City Police Chief Anthony Marino said 51-year-old James P. Dahlen, Jr., of Cape May Court House, contacted the prosecutor's office Wednesday morning to make arrangements to turn himself in. Authorities say he did just that and was charged with 4th degree criminal trespass. He was lodged in the county's correctional center pending court hearings. Authorities say Dahlen could be facing additional charges.

This past Sunday, a plane owned by Paramount Air Service landed on the beach of the Coast Guard Base and the pilot, later identified as Dahlen, fled the scene. A warrant was issued for his arrested when he could not be located.

Sutherland said a person convicted of a 4th degree crime can be sentenced up to 18 months in state prison.

The investigation as to why Dahlen landed a plane at the Coast Guard Center continues, led by the Coast Guard Investigate Service, the FBI, and the FAA.

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