An almost one year manhunt ended Wednesday, when Khiri K. Daniels, 26, who was living with relatives in Lawrenceville, Ga., was returned to Washington Parish and placed in jail.

Chief Deputy Mike Haley of the Washington Parish Sheriff’s Office said that the saga with Daniels began on Aug. 28, 2015, when two armed suspects overpowered a homeowner on Tob Wilson Road in the Clifton community of Washington Parish. Armed with a pistol and a large knife, the two intruders forced the homeowner inside his house where they physically assaulted him.

Haley said that the homeowner was able to break free and flee out of an open door and across his yard. As he ran from the residence, the intruder with the pistol shot him in the lower back. The two intruders then fled.

The victim had a home security system, which captured images of the two intruders. The pictures were published in print media, social media and electronic media along with a request from Sheriff Randy Seal asking the public to help identify the home invaders.

Haley said that WPSO detectives investigated the crime and processed the scene for evidence, which was collected and forwarded to the Louisiana State Police Crime Lab for DNA processing and identification. In January, the crime lab reported a DNA match and identified the matching person as Khiri K. Daniels.

WPSO investigators obtained a warrant for Daniels for attempted murder and armed robbery and began the process of finding him. Haley said they learned that Daniels fled Washington Parish after the crime and went to New Orleans. Once the crime was publicized by the media, Daniels then left New Orleans and traveled to Georgia, where he has family. Haley said that investigators were able to locate him there and have him arrested by Georgia law enforcement officers.

Daniels was placed in the Gwinnett County (Ga.) Jail and refused to voluntarily be returned to Washington Parish, Haley said. Washington Parish District Warren Montgomery then worked with Attorney General Jeff Landry to obtain a governor’s warrant to force the return of Daniels to Washington Parish. The warrant was signed by Louisiana Gov. John Bel Edwards and forwarded Georgia Gov. Nathan Deal, so that Daniels could be brought back to Louisiana.

Daniels is currently in the Washington Parish Jail, charged with attempted first-degree murder and armed robbery. His bond is set at $300,000.

Haley said that although this is the first time Daniels has been arrested for a crime committed in Washington Parish, he has a lengthy criminal history of arrests for similar offenses of armed robbery, simple robbery, aggravated burglary and aggravated battery.

Washington Parish Detective Lt. Tom Anderson expressed his thanks to other agencies in solving the case.

“We are grateful to the Louisiana State Police Crime Lab, District Attorney Warren Montgomery, Attorney General Jeff Landry and Governor John Bel Edwards for their assistance in this matter,” he said. “Each agency made a significant contribution to aid in the return of Edwards to Washington Parish. I give a special ‘shout out’ to our investigators who never gave up.”

Sheriff Randy Seal also spoke positively of the arrest.

“Two things immediately come to mind,” he said. “First is my gratitude to our investigators who tenaciously pursued this matter until Daniels was identified, located and arrested. It took almost a year to wrap this one up, but our investigators kept on working until they got their man. They did an excellent job.

“Next is my concern as to why this New Orleans career criminal was not in prison instead of roaming free and terrorizing citizens of Washington Parish. With his lengthy criminal record, he should have already been incarcerated for a very long time. Our office will work closely with District Attorney Warren Montgomery and his staff to make certain that Daniels is convicted and sent to prison where he belongs.”

The second suspect in this home invasion is still being sought. If any person has knowledge of this crime, they are asked to call the Washington Parish Sheriff’s Office at (985) 839-3434.