BURKE COUNTY, N.C. — Burke County deputies are searching for a suspect they say is not only armed and dangerous but also forced two nearby schools into a soft lockdown on Wednesday.
BCSO said they got a call just after 11 a.m. around Powerhouse Road in Morganton regarding a trespasser. The victim told an officer that the suspect, identified as Craig Herman Lytle, was on the victim's property and aimed a firearm at the victim. The victim also told the responding deputy that Lytle left on foot and headed toward a nearby vacant property, where the deputy saw smoke during the initial interview with the victim. BCSO says the deputy saw several fires that were set on the property, with nobody there.
Lytle is known to carry a firearm and is believed to be dangerous. BCSO says he is considered a person of interest in the fires and also has two outstanding warrants for failure to appear in unrelated matters.
Because of the scene, two nearby elementary schools were placed on soft lockdown: W.A. Young and Glen Alpine. Both BCSO and the Glen Alpine Police Department were looking for Lytle, but as of writing, he has not been found.
Anyone who knows where Lytle is should call BCSO at 828-438-5500 or the Morganton/Burke Crimestoppers at 828-437-3333. All tips sent in to Crimestoppers are anonymous, and anyone who offers a tip that leads to an arrest could get a cash reward.
