search table with like using eloquent

search_with_like.php

    public static function search_contacts($terms)
    {
        $search_all = ! Input::has('first') && ! Input::has('last');
        $terms = escape($terms);
        $search_terms = explode(' ', $terms);
        $search_term_bits = array();
        foreach ($search_terms as $term) {
            $term = trim($term);
            if (! empty($term)) {
                if ((Input::has('first') && Input::has('last')) || $search_all)
                    $search_term_bits[] = "`first` LIKE '{$term}%' OR `last` LIKE '{$term}%'";

                if (Input::has('first') && ! Input::has('last'))
                    $search_term_bits[] = "`first` LIKE '{$term}%'";

                if (! Input::has('first') && Input::has('last'))
                    $search_term_bits[] = "`last` LIKE '{$term}%'";
            }
        }

        $contacts = Contact::raw_where("(" . implode(' AND ', $search_term_bits) . ")")
            ->raw_where("`account_user_id`=?", array(Auth::user()->account_user_id))
            ->where_deleted(0)
            ->take(20)
            ->get();

        $contacts_array = array();
        foreach ($contacts as $contact) {
            $new_contact = $contact->to_array();
            $new_contact['rank'] = levenshtein($terms, $contact->first . ' ' . $contact->last);
            $contacts_array[] = $new_contact;
        }

        aasort($contacts_array, 'rank');

        return $contacts_array;
    }