TUPPER LAKE — A wanted Tupper Lake man evaded authorities not once, not twice but three times in one day.

It was only after his fourth breakaway on foot — and a subsequent chase that lasted around 30 minutes — when he was taken into custody, according to police, who added that a private citizen assisted in the capture.

Chad M. Bruce, 33, of Tupper Lake faces a slew of charges that village police allege stem from him violating a “stay away” order of protection three separate times, and then subsequently fleeing police upon being informed he was under arrest March 8.

Bruce was charged with three counts of first-degree criminal contempt, a felony, as well as two counts of resisting arrest, one count of second-degree trespassing and one count of fourth-degree criminal mischief, all misdemeanors.

After processing and arraignment in Tupper Lake Village Court, the defendant was remanded to the Franklin County Jail in lieu of either a $30,000 bail, $60,000 bond bail or $100,000 partially secured bond bail. Jail records show the defendant’s intake at the jail was 7 p.m. March 8, and records show he remains there as of press time Monday.

Police allege the incident began when Bruce went to the protected party’s residence, and refused to leave, eventually doing so before police arrived at the scene. He returned to that same residence some time later, according to police. This time, a plain-clothes village officer met him there, and advised that he was under arrest — at which point he fled again on foot, according to police.

The ordeal was far from over. Police said the defendant returned to the residence a third time, this time forcing his way in. The authorities responded, but said Bruce fled before they arrived.

He was spotted at a different location some time after that by a uniformed village officer and a uniformed New York State Trooper, who informed him that he was, once again, under arrest. This is when police said he made his fourth and final dash of the day, fleeing on foot.

About 30 minutes later, Bruce was apprehended with the assistance of a private citizen, according to Village Police Chief Eric Proulx.

“The sergeant was in the woods wherever they were running, down in the area of this home and when he came out, it looks like on Leboeuf Street, the suspect was on McCarthy Street, which happened to be around the corner,” he said. “Somebody passing by, that the sergeant knew, he talked to them and they gave them a ride over there.”

Proulx said State Troopers were able to detain Bruce, and when the village sergeant was dropped off down McCarthy Street, the defendant was in custody.

He is set to reappear in village court again at a later date, according to Tupper Lake police. Proulx said there were no indications the defendant caused physical harm to anyone during his multiple alleged illegal visits to the residence.

“The Tupper Lake Village Police Department would like to thank the New York state Police and the concerned citizens of Tupper Lake who made the apprehension of the defendant possible,” the police said in a statement.