A man abandoned the stolen car he was driving Wednesday, leaving behind a gun and marijuana to hide in a trash can after he crashed the car in to a ditch, police said.

Statesboro police arrested Jonathan Lanier Jr., 20, of East Main Street, on several charges after he was found in the smelly refuge, Statesboro Public Safety Director Wendell Turner said.

The owner of the gray 2004 Honda Accord reported the vehicle stolen around 1 p.m. Wednesday at The Avenue at Southern on Georgia Avenue, he said.

She told police the car "was taken sometime between (Tuesday and Wednesday) and that the keys to the vehicle were missing from inside the apartment." A report was taken for the stolen vehicle, and the case was turned over the police department's Criminal Investigations Bureau.

Less than an hour after the owner made the report, "Officer Travis Smallegan observed a gray Honda Accord on Institute Street briefly leave the roadway," Turner said. "When Officer Smallegan attempted to perform a traffic stop on the vehicle, the driver increased his speed attempted to evade the traffic stop."

Smallegan advised over the radio that he believed he was in pursuit of the car stolen from The Avenue at Southern, and other officers responded to assist him.

"The vehicle then crashed in a ditch on Cromartie Drive and the driver fled on foot into a residential area where Officer Smallegan lost sight of him," Turner said.

Several Statesboro police officers and Bulloch County sheriff's deputies quickly arrived in the area and established a perimeter.

"After searching the area for nearly 45 minutes ... (Lanier) was located inside a trash can behind a residence on Echo Way," Turner said.

Lanier was arrested and taken to the Bulloch County Jail, where he was booked on charges of burglary, theft by taking motor vehicle, obstruction, possession of a firearm during the commission of a crime, of a firearm by a convicted felon, marijuana possession, possession/use of a drug-related object, criminal trespass, giving false information, failure to maintain lane, driving without a valid license and leaving the scene of an accident.

A firearm and marijuana were found inside the stolen vehicle. No injuries resulted from this incident, Turner said.

Anyone with information concerning this case is asked to contact Statesboro police Detective Ben Purvis at (912) 764-9911.

Anonymous tips may be submitted online at www.tipsoft.com or by sending a text message beginning with "TIPSSPD" to 274637 (CRIMES). All information is strictly confidential, Turner said.

Holli Deal Bragg may be reached at (912) 489-9414.