A West Columbia man wanted since March 2017 in connection with a fatal shooting was arrested Thursday night.

Kevin Lawrence Pearson, 26, is charged with murder and criminal conspiracy for his role in a February 2017 homicide on Princeton Road in West Columbia, according to arrest warrants.

“Detectives have treated Pearson as our most wanted suspect for almost a year and a half,” Lexington County Sheriff Jay Koon said. “We’re grateful to the Richland County Sheriff’s Department for working with us... This arrest is the result of agencies working together and sharing information.”

Richland County deputies apprehended Pearson after he ran from them during a response to a community complaint, according to Koon.

Pearson is being held in the Lexington County Detention Center while he awaits a bond hearing.