MADAWASKA – After nearly 18 months of staying away from the long arm of the law by residing in Canada, a former Madawaska resident was in custody Wednesday night in the Aroostook County Jail.

Even after he was caught, the man gave local officers a run for their money by escaping the Madawaska Police Department’s custody. He was apprehended quickly by local officers.

Mark Scott Cyr, 29, had failed to appear in court in fall 2001 in connection with a charge of burglary and two counts of assault. He also was on probation at the time, according to Police Chief Ronald Pelletier.

Cyr holds dual citizenship in Canada and the United States, and left the country instead of appearing in court on the three charges.

Now he faces two more charges, failure to appear in court and escape. “He’s now in a holding cell here,” Pelletier said Wednesday afternoon. “Tonight he will be in the county jail.

“He will be held without bail because he already fled the country once,” Pelletier said. “In between Madawaska and Houlton, he will appear in District Court at Caribou.”

Pelletier said Cyr may not have entered the country through the port of entry at the United States-Canada border. While authorities are not sure, they think Cyr may have crossed the frozen St. John River by snowmobile.

Madawaska police received a tip Wednesday morning that Cyr, who has been living across the St. John River in St. Jacques, New Brunswick, was in Madawaska. It wasn’t the first time he crossed the border, but this time, police verified he was in town. Armed with a warrant, they found Cyr alone in a friend’s apartment at 771 Main St., just east of St. David Catholic Church.

Taken into custody without any problems, Cyr was handcuffed and taken to the police station. Pelletier said Cyr fled on foot when the handcuffs were removed at the police station. He bolted while he was in an unlocked working area. One officer was preparing to fingerprint Cyr, and another had gone to get him some water.

The suspect ran from the area, went through several doors and fled the Madawaska Safety Complex, where the Police Department is located, through the ambulance department to Main Street.

Pelletier, Sgt. Carroll Theriault and Officers Oneil Clavette and Dave Beaulieu gave chase.Cyr was caught a few streets over from the police station on Third Avenue.