SALISBURY — Three men were jailed after being arrested by police late Monday night while reportedly attempting to rob the China Buffet restaurant.

According to Salisbury police Chief David L'Esperance, Daryk Richards, 18, of 67 Forest St., and Kenneth Eaton, 19, of 53 Beach Road, both of Salisbury, and Ryan Pierce, 19, of 399 Wethersfield Road, Rowley, were arraigned yesterday at Newburyport District Court before Judge Peter Doyle.

The three were charged with breaking and entering in the nighttime with intent to commit a felony, possession of burglarious tools — gloves, a hammer and a clown mask — and resisting arrest.

All were ordered held on $7,500 cash bail for violations of existing probation conditions. Pierce was also held for violating a 60-day warning in an open Chelsea District Court case for larceny, L'Esperance said.

Police were alerted to the alleged crime at about 11 p.m. on Monday when an entry alarm came into station from the China Buffet, located at 6 Merrill St. in Crossroads Plaza off Route 110.

L'Esperance said after responding to the alarm, officer James Leavitt found the rear door of the business ajar. He also saw a person in a gray hooded sweatshirt passing by the side door and heard two more men leaving the building.

"They started running into the woods behind the car wash," L'Esperance said.

Salisbury police were assisted at the scene by the state and Amesbury police, including Amesbury's K-9 Kaybar and officer Thomas Nichols.

"Officers Leavitt and Nichols tracked the two subjects from the building to the area of Valiant Industries located on the Salisbury/Amesbury line," L'Esperance said.

Richards and Eaton were detained by Leavitt and Nichols, with other officers at the scene taking Pierce into custody. The men were known to police, the chief said.

L'Esperance commended Salisbury officers Leavitt, Daniel McNeil and Tim Hunter for their quick action and thanked Amesbury and state police for their assistance.

"We'd like to especially thank officer Nichols and Kaybar, who have been called into our jurisdiction on numerous occasions producing successful apprehensions," L'Esperance said. "I will reiterate that these, like so many others lately, are clearly crimes being committed and driven by (drug) addiction."

L'Esperance urged those with drug-related information to contact the department's tip line at 978-465-8010 or e-mail anonymously to police@salisburyma.gov.