PULASKI, Va. (WDBJ) - A North Carolina man was arrested Thursday after a shoplifting investigation turned into a search for a hostage.

Conrad Alexander Burke, 46, of Charlotte, is being held for false identification to law enforcement and false emergency communication to emergency personnel, according to Pulaski Police.

Police say the afternoon of December 11, 2025, officers were called to Tractor Supply regarding a shoplifting incident. The thief was seen leaving the store in a black Lexus, which police then found at a nearby business, with no one inside.

While this investigation was taking place, 911 dispatch was called by a male saying an employee at O’Reilly’s Auto Parts was being held hostage by someone with a gun. Police responded and found no such incident taking place. The call

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