Meet Yoda, the dog who helped law enforcement catch Danelo Cavalcante
SOUTH COVENTRY TOWNSHIP, Pa. (CBS) -- The search for escaped prisoner Danelo Cavalcante came to an end Wednesday on the 14th day of the manhunt in South Coventry Township, and a furry friend played a huge role in ending the search.
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Yoda, a 4-year-old Belgian Malinois, bit Cavalcante as he tried to escape while tactical units closed in on the convicted killer, officials said in a news conference following the capture.
Yoda is a part of the BORTAC K9 unit with the U.S. Customs and Border Protection.
Border patrol agents from Buffalo, Detroit, Blaine, Washington, Swanton, Vermont and El Paso, Texas helped in the search with other federal, state and local law enforcement to catch Calavante with Pennsylvania State Police leading the manhunt.
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Earlier in the search, a different K-9 suffered heat exhaustion as the Philadelphia area dealt with a heatwave.
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Posted by CBS Philadelphia on Wednesday, September 13, 2023
Law enforcement took Cavalcante, who was wearing an Eagles hoodie at the time, back into custody without incident, police said.
Officials said a combination of aircraft with thermal imaging and K-9s led to bringing Cavalcante back into custody.
Cavalcante escaped from Chester County Prison back on Aug. 31.
@USMS_Philly was proud to support the @PAStatePolice 2-week manhunt for Danelo Calvalcante. The U.S. Marshals Service provided investigative expertise and significant technical resources. Thank you to all the LE agencies and the community for supporting this operation. pic.twitter.com/QLfGMQUaIA
— U.S. Marshals Service Philadelphia (@USMS_Philly) September 13, 2023
The manhunt spanned in several different locations in the rural county, from the south region in Longwood Gardens to the northern part of the county in South Coventry Township.
A video released by officials showed how Cavalcante, who was also wanted for murder in his native county of Brazil, escaped the prison by climbing up a wall and then getting past barbed wire.
Before escaping, Calvacante was sentenced to life without parole for fatally stabbing his ex-girlfriend, Deborah Brandao, 38 times in the Phoenixville area in 2021 in front of her two young kids.
Cavalcante was immediately examined by medics after he was recaptured and transferred by a SWAT vehicle to the state barracks in Avondale, according to state police.
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The convicted killer will then be reprocessed and taken to a state institute to serve his life sentence.