TUPPER LAKE — A kidnapping victim’s quick actions possibly saved their life from a violent incident, which occurred here and caused a multiday law enforcement response.

According to State Police, the victim managed to escape the building he was being held in by running away Saturday morning while the alleged kidnappers were asleep. Several people, including one Tupper Laker, were charged in relation to the incident.

David Clark, 48, of Tupper Lake; Jose Acosta, 31, of Hartford, Connecticut and an unnamed 17-year-old male of Hartford, Connecticut were each charged with second-degree kidnapping and fourth-degree attempted conspiracy: conspiring to perform a class B or C felony, all felonies.

While the incident happened in Tupper Lake, the unnamed victim was allegedly abducted in Plattsburgh and brought here, according to State Police. They were here against their will. While State Police Public Information Officer Trooper Brandi Ashley said she could not reveal the exact address where the victim was being held, it was in the vicinity of Main and Water streets in Tupper Lake’s Junction area.

During the altercation, the victim’s clothing was forcibly removed, and they were choked unconscious and forced into an SUV, according to State Police. It’s unclear when or where in Plattsburgh the victim was allegedly abducted. State Police did not release any information about the victim’s age or gender.

While in the vehicle, the victim was threatened with a knife, according to State Police. The victim had scratch marks on their neck and stomach, and stab wounds in their buttocks area, causing a small laceration. It’s unclear if the victim had any further injuries or what their current medical status is.

Following the incident, State Police executed multiple search warrants, leading to the response of the Northern Regional Special Response Team on Main Street in Tupper Lake for a search of the residence. The team is comprised of members of the Clinton, Franklin and Essex County sheriffs offices, as well as members of the Ticonderoga and Malone police departments. State Police also received assistance from the Tupper Lake Police Department at the scene.

Clark, Acosta and the 17-year-old juvenile were all processed at the Franklin County Jail Sunday afternoon. It’s unclear exactly when they were taken into custody.

The three were arraigned in the town of Malone Court.

Clark is currently being held at the Franklin County Jail in lieu of a $50,000 cash bail, $100,000 secured bond or $200,000 unsecured bond, according to State Police.

Acosta was remanded to the Franklin County Jail without bail due to previous felony convictions.

The 17-year-old male is currently being held at the Franklin County Jail in lieu of a $50,000 cash bail, $100,000 secured bond or $200,000 unsecured bond, according to State Police.

Acosta and the 17-year-old were taken into custody without incident, according to State Police, who added that Clark was apprehended during a traffic stop. It’s unclear if Clark sustained any injuries in his arrest. Ashley said no law enforcement officers were injured during the multiday response.

Further investigation determined Kurt G. Ackerman, 31, of Plattsburgh, who is an alleged co-conspirator, was also arrested during a traffic stop in Plattsburgh on Sunday. He was subsequently charged with second-degree kidnapping and fourth-degree conspiracy. Ackerman was arraigned in Plattsburgh City Court, where he was remanded to Clinton County Jail on $50,000 cash, $100,000 bond or $200,000 partially secured bond, according to State Police.

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The escape

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At around 9:30 a.m. Saturday, an individual approached Larkin’s Junction Depot, a convenience store and gas station located at 58 Main St. in apparent distress, according to store owner Stephen Jellie. The individual was not wearing a shirt and appeared to be throwing up.

He said it had been a busy morning at the store, and he had just finished returning a lost dog who had shown up at the store with its owner.

“I had no sooner come back in the store, and my mother-in-law was at the store watering the flowers and she said, ‘Hey Steve, it looks like there’s someone out there throwing up,'” he said Sunday.

Jellie went outside to see if the person, whom he described as an approximately 19-year-old male, was OK. He told Jellie he didn’t know where he was and said he had been kidnapped from Plattsburgh sometime the night before. Jellie said much of what he was saying was unintelligible, and with obvious signs of distress, Jellie called 911.

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Subsequent response

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Jellie said the Tupper Lake Police Department responded shortly thereafter, with Sgt. Jordan Nason arriving on the scene to pick up the distressed individual and take him to the TLPD station for further evaluation. He credited Nason with a prompt and effective response.

“(Nason) really did a great job,” Jellie said. “It looked like he was able to get the information and rally a team together. A lot of credit to Sgt. Nason, a veteran officer on duty on a Saturday — really paid off because I think he recognized the seriousness right away.”

Jellie said that after TLPD left, the scene around his store went back to normal for a few hours. He said that he left the store later in the morning, and not being in the area, he did not have a good idea of what the subsequent law enforcement response timeline over the next few hours was.

At around 3 p.m. Saturday, the Northern Regional Special Response Team was requested to report to the vicinity of Main and Water streets by State Police, according to Clinton County Sheriff Maj. Nicholas Leon, who commands the team. He said about 13 members responded with the team — which provides tactical expertise in situations that have been determined to pose a high risk to life.

The team is stationed out of Plattsburgh and its members complete a minimum of 16 to 20 hours of training each month to remain ready for the specialized and/or potentially extremely dangerous situations they often respond to. This includes water rescues, nighttime operations training, close quarters operations, hostage rescue, de-escalation tactics and training with specialized equipment, such as using drones and robots.

Often, NRSRT is called by the State Police due to its ability to respond to a scene in the North Country quickly and provide that specialized response capability. Leon said all of the training and preparation played a pivotal role in a situation like this, with no injuries to the team or the alleged kidnappers.

“The whole point of a tactical team is to bring to bear the resources and the personnel that are trained in a way to mitigate those dangers and resolve things without people getting hurt,” he said. “We managed to handle some pretty serious situations without people getting hurt because of the expertise and the training that these guys have and the equipment that we can have and bring to bear.”