HOLDEN, Maine — A wanted man who took off running from a car with stolen construction equipment inside that police pulled over Friday night later tried to eat drugs found in his possession, Holden police Officer Chris Greeley said Saturday.

By the end of the night, three people were arrested, the officer said.

Nicholas R. McDonald, 32, of Holden, who had two outstanding warrants, was charged at about 8:30 p.m. with four crimes, the most serious being aggravated trafficking in scheduled drugs — a Class A crime that carries a penalty of up to 30 years behind bars for those convicted, Greeley said.

McDonald also was charged with possession of scheduled drugs, refusing to submit to arrest and falsifying physical evidence, the office said.

“The Holden Police Department received information that a vehicle involved in an area burglary was in Holden,” Greeley said.

The burglary reportedly occurred in Orrington. Greeley found the car, driven by Amy L. White, 36, a Bangor-area transient, on Copeland Hill Road and stopped it. That is when McDonald took off on foot.

“Inside the car was a good deal of stolen property,” the officer said.

The items taken from Orrington were construction-related equipment, and “the owner did come grab [them],” Greeley said.

While White was charged with receiving stolen property by Sgt. Roy Peary of the Penobscot County Sheriff’s Office, Maine State Police Trooper Josh D’Angelo and his search dog, Junior, searched for McDonald, who was found hiding in the woods by the roadway.

While interviewing McDonald, “he made an attempt to eat the drugs,” Greeley said. “He had two different types of drugs.”

Greeley would not say what type of drugs McDonald had in his possession, but did say it was the quantity of one of the drugs that led to the aggravated trafficking charge.

Brewer police and a member of the U.S. Drug Enforcement Agency also assisted with incident, Greeley said.

While conducting the investigation, which is ongoing, police also learned that a third person associated with the people arrested was wanted for three outstanding warrants, Greeley said. Kelly-Jo Desmond, 32, was arrested on the warrants, he said.

All three were taken to the Penobscot County Jail on Friday night and remained behind bars Saturday night.

McDonald is being held on $10,000 cash bail; White has a $1,000 bail; Desmond’s bail is $1,220, a jail official said.

“I expect there to be other charges,” Greeley said.