A California man was charged in the beheading death of a woman on Friday after his DNA was found on the samurai sword believed to be the murder weapon.

Police believe that 33-year-old Jacob Gonzales of Los Banos, California, is currently hiding out in Merced County, according to the Island County Sheriff's office.

He had been originally charged with firearms and vehicle theft when law enforcement found 26-year-old Katherine Cunningham's body on March 3.

Her body had been found on Camano Island, a remote area in Washington.

Police believe that 33-year-old Jacob Gonzales of Los Banos, California, is currently hiding out in Merced County

Close to the body, detectives discovered a bunker in the hillside. Inside were supplies, ammunition and firearms.

Approximately 560 miles away in Yreka, California, officers found Cunningham's Honda Civic with a samurai sword inside the trunk.

On Wednesday, DNA results from the sword 'indicated that Ms. Cunningham's blood was on the blade of the sword, and Mr. Gonzales' DNA was on the hilt.'

He had been originally charged with firearms and vehicle theft when law enforcement found 26-year-old Katherine Cunningham's (right) body on March 3

'Based on those results, we amended the charges,' the sheriff's office said in a statement, upping the charges to 'domestic violence murder in the second degree, while armed with a deadly weapon' on Friday.

A $1million nationwide warrant is in effect for the man's arrest.

He is described as being Hispanic and 5'9' tall. Gonzales is said to weigh approximately 150lbs and has black hair with hazel eyes.

On Wednesday, DNA results from the sword 'indicated that Ms. Cunningham's blood was on the blade of the sword, and Mr. Gonzales' DNA was on the hilt' (the couple pictured in 2011)

The man is considered to be armed and dangerous

The man is considered to be armed and dangerous.

The DNA evidence has given some solace to Cunningham's family, who hopes to get answers on his whereabouts soon.

'But we still don't have the answers, that's what holding us here,' sister, Emma Cunningham, shared with the Merced Sun Star. 'What led to this happening? We still can't find Jacob.'

The DNA results give some solace to Cunningham's family, who were already aware of the sword's existence

'This is pretty much what everybody has been waiting for, (for authorities) to come out with this information (and charge him with murder.)'

Emma shared that the family had been privy to the samurai sword but that they couldn't disclose any information until the results came back.

'Jacob was officially named a suspect,' she said. 'I'm contacting everybody I can to get his face up everywhere.'