Leon Tennant was identified by hair from his beard after he broke into a Vienna, New York, home last year

Police say a suspect was caught by a whisker when DNA from his beard hair led to his arrest.

Sheriff’s deputies in upstate New York say an intruder armed with a knife had confronted a woman in her home in Vienna last December but the woman grabbed his beard before he fled.

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A hair sample was sent for DNA testing. Oneida County deputies say it was linked to 54-year-old Leon Tennant in October.

Last week, Tennant was released from jail in another county on an unrelated offense then transported to Vienna for arraignment on a first-degree burglary charge.

Deputies said Saturday they’re asking anyone who knows more about Tennant to contact them.