DeSoto Parish Sheriff’s Office air support and K-9 units played a key role in the successful arrest of a Natchitoches man following a brief manhunt this weekend, highlighting strong cooperation between neighboring law enforcement agencies.
According to Natchitoches Parish Sheriff Stuart Wright, the incident began Saturday evening, January 3, 2026, around 6:15 p.m., when deputies with the Natchitoches Parish Sheriff’s Office were dispatched to a reported domestic disturbance involving a knife in the 4900 block of Louisiana Highway 3278 near Natchitoches.
Deputies made contact with the victim, who was not injured. During the investigation, deputies learned the victim’s son, identified as 24-year-old Elias M. Quiller, had allegedly threatened to kill her with a kitchen knife before fleeing into nearby woods prior to their arrival. The victim reported Quiller had been acting erratically throughout the day and stated she feared for her life, noting the threats were not an isolated incident. Deputies collected information for an offense report, including video evidence, but were unable to locate the suspect that night.
Based on probable cause, deputies obtained an arrest warrant for Quiller through a 10th Judicial District Court judge.
The following morning, Sunday, January 4, 2026, at approximately 7:12 a.m., deputies were called back to the residence after the victim reported Quiller was in her backyard. Deputies observed the suspect flee across Louisiana Highway 3278 into a wooded area. Later that morning, at about 9:33 a.m., Quiller was again spotted before running back into the woods. Natchitoches Parish deputies established a perimeter and requested assistance.
The DeSoto Parish Sheriff’s Office responded by deploying its K-9 tracking team, along with additional deputies, drones, and helicopter air support. Deputies from both agencies conducted a coordinated search covering approximately 1.5 miles of wooded terrain.
Quiller was eventually located and given loud verbal commands to stop, which he ignored while attempting to flee once more. After continued noncompliance, the K-9 unit was deployed, and Quiller was taken into custody following a dog bite to the hip. Deputies rendered aid at the scene, and Natchitoches Regional Medical Center EMS transported Quiller for medical evaluation. He was treated and later released.
Following his release, Quiller was booked into the LaSalle Corrections/Natchitoches Detention Center. He was charged with one count of Domestic Abuse/Aggravated Assault and one count of Resisting an Officer. He remains in custody.
Sheriff Wright expressed appreciation for the assistance provided by DeSoto Parish authorities.
“I would like to personally thank DeSoto Parish Sheriff Jayson Richardson and the men and women of the DeSoto Parish Sheriff’s Office for their swift response and outstanding assistance,” Wright said. “Their K-9 tracking team, air support, and additional manpower played a critical role in safely locating and apprehending the suspect. This incident underscores the importance of strong partnerships between law enforcement agencies.”
Natchitoches Parish deputies involved in the incident included Deputies H. Layfield, Lt. B. Smith, Sgt. C. Olliff, A. Coon, Sgt. D. Halliburton, T. Miller Jr., J. Edwards, and A. Weeks. The victim was issued a Louisiana Automated Victim Notification form.