Northern California police put more than 2,000 hours into the search of the man who stabbed 8-year-old Leila Fowler who was described to police by her 12-year-old brother.
Police arrested the boy Saturday in conjunction with the murder.
Parents of Leila and her brother, whose name has not been released, were out at a Little League game April 27 before being alerted that a so-called home intruder had stabbed their daughter in their home in Valley Springs. The boy told police that he had seen the man break in.
He said ran off to call for help and returned to find his sister stabbed multiple times with the assailant already gone from the scene.
The man police were chasing to no avail was described as a 6-foot white or Latino man with a bulky build and long, gray hair.
Police probed the people of the Calavaras County town of about 7,500 people and advised residents to stay indoors as police started out on the manhunt, the Modesto Bee reported. Investigators also questioned registered sex offenders in the area, searching attics and storage units for potential evidence.
"Citizens of Calaveras County, you can sleep a little better tonight," Calaveras County Sheriff Gary Kuntz said of the arrest of the boy.
Police seized a handful of knives from the parents' home in order to determine if one was used as the murder weapon.
The Associated Press reported that the boy is being charged for murder, though details have not been made clear.
"We did collect fingerprints during that search," Calaveras County Sheriff's Capt. Jim Macedo said, "and we did collect what we believe to be DNA."
The Valley Springs community showed an outpouring of support for Leila's family by hanging purple ribbons about town to honor the girl.
"We are devastated," Crystal Walters, her mother, told CNN via her Facebook page. "She didn't deserve this. ... She was so full of life."
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