Man who led police on manhunt caught; he had skipped out on attempted murder trial

A 22-year-old man who led police on a manhunt through Broadway at the Beach and Myrtle Beach Wednesday after a car crash was arrested at a hotel room in Wilmington, N.C. later that night, according to authorities.

Jamal Marquis Daniels, 22, was arrested around 8:30 p.m. at the Red Carpet Inn, 4118 Market St., by members of the New Hanover County Sheriff’s Office Emergency Response Team, said Lt. Jerry Brewer, according to the Wilmington Star News.

Drugs and cash were seized from the hotel room, and Daniels was arrested without incident after the New Hanover County Sheriff’s Office Emergency Response Team received information from South Carolina Law Enforcement Division Daniels may have been in the area, the Wilmington Star News reports. Brunswick County Sheriff’s Office deputies also assisted in the arrest.

Daniels failed to show up for an attempted murder trial in April in an Horry County courtroom from a 2013 charge. A trial was held in his absence, and he was found guilty of first-degree assault and battery and strong arm robbery, but sentencing was sealed, according to the Wilmington Star News. An arrest warrant in connection with failure to appear was issued and he was deemed a fugitive from justice.

Police were trying to detain Daniels in a vehicle near 48th Avenue North and U.S. 17 Bypass around noon Wednesday when the car sped away and crashed at 29th Avenue North and U.S. 17, authorities said.

Daniels and Rondric Tykeme Smith, 21, then fled into Broadway at the Beach, police said. Smith was arrested and charged with drugs/trafficking in cocaine, 10 grams or more, but less than 28 grams, according to an arrest warrant that states he had 74 wax slips, containing cocaine and weighing 17.1 grams, in his pant leg during the arrest.

Smith is also charged with resisting arrest, and may also face additional charges.

Daniels will be extradited back to Horry County, authorities said.

Both Smith and Daniels have been in and out of court since they were teens.

Smith was charged with murder, attempted armed robbery and accessory after the fact to murder in the shooting death of Michael Brown in December 2011. Smith was 16 years old at the time, but was tried as an adult in the case. He was indicted on all charges, but the murder and accessory counts were dropped in court.

Smith pleaded guilty to the robbery charge and was sentenced to 3 years with credit for time served, according to online court records.

In January 2015, police were seeking Smith and Daniels, both of Myrtle Beach and both charged with attempted murder, in connection with a shooting on Grey Street that damaged a vehicle. No other injuries were reported in the shooting.

Smith and Daniels were in custody within 48 hours but the two were never indicted on the attempted murder charge and the counts were dismissed in court.

A few months later, Smith pleaded guilty to a marijuana possession charge and was sentenced to time served, according to court records.

Daniels was also charged with possessing a stolen vehicle after the January 2015 incident, but was never indicted and the charge was dismissed. He pleaded guilty to malicious damage to property in the 2015 shooting and was sentenced to time served, court records show.

Daniels first appearance in court was to face an armed robbery charge for an incident when he was 15. He was indicted on the charge, but the count was later dismissed.

In 2013, he was indicted on charges of distributing cocaine, possessing contraband as a prisoner, assaulting a police officer while resisting arrest and possessing marijuana, but the counts were dismissed in court.

Our Grand Strand news alliance partner, Wilmington Star News contributed to this report.

This story was originally published November 17, 2016 at 9:47 AM with the headline "Man who led police on manhunt caught; he had skipped out on attempted murder trial."