Warren County Sheriff’s deputies and Vicksburg police spent about two hours Friday afternoon searching a wooded area between U.S. 61 North and North Washington Street for a man who gave a phony name and ran from deputies while they were conducting identity checks at Keyes Recycling.

Sheriff Martin Pace said the man gave the name of another man who has an outstanding warrant for grand larceny. He said deputies discovered the false ID during a records check at the sheriff’s department, when they compared photos of the two men.

“We don’t know why he ran,” Pace said. “As far as we know, he is not wanted for anything. When we catch him, the worst he will be charged with is giving false information to law enforcement (a misdemeanor).”

The incident began about noon when deputies were called to Keyes after four men tried to sell a safe for scrap. He said the men gave their names, and the deputies were checking IDs and the serial numbers on the safe when the man ran off.

The other three men were detained and a search began in the nearby woods. Vicksburg police, including a K-9, assisted in the search.

“The whole time they were searching the area, the deputies thought they were looking for a man with an outstanding warrant,” he said. “When they found out they were looking for someone else, they pulled back.”

He said the other three men did not have any records. He said a check on the safe’s numbers indicated that it was not stolen.