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Technology and a dog named Yoda were crucial in Danelo Cavalcante's arrest

Up to 400 law enforcement officers were involved in the search to find the illegal immigrant who escaped from jail 14 days ago.

Danelo Cavalcante

Danelo Cavalcante /

Published by
Rosana Rábago Sainz Juan Peña

The Pennsylvania escaped prisoner, Danelo Cavalcante, is back in custody. After a 14-day search involving 400 people from multiple agencies, police found and arrested him thanks to Yoda, a four-year-old Belgian Malinois shepherd who works for Border Patrol. Yoda bit Cavalcante on the scalp, giving police time to move in. Lt. Col. George Bivens, deputy commissioner of operations for the Pennsylvania State Police, told ABC: "The dog subdued him and team members from both of those teams immediately moved in. He continued to resist, but was forcibly taken into custody."

However, police had found the whereabouts of the fugitive minutes earlier and were waiting to move in, as Lieutenant Colonel George Bivens explained at the press conference after Cavalcante's arrest. The lieutenant told the media that a federal DEA plane using infrared imaging technology found the exact location of the escaped prisoner:

Tactical teams converged on the area where the heat source was. They were able to move in very quietly. They had the element of surprise. Cavalcante did not realize he was surrounded until that had occurred.

Thanks to Yoda, police didn't have to use lethal force to capture Cavalcante. Bivens told the press: "That option is only to prevent the escape of a very dangerous individual. Had they not been able to contain him, that would have remained an option."

After arresting him, police took a picture celebrating the arrest of the escaped Pennsylvania prisoner. Bivens was aware of this and said it "does not bother him at all":

I'm aware that there was a photo op that was taken out there. Those men and women worked amazingly hard through some trying circumstances. They're proud of their work. I'm not bothered at all by that. They took a photo with him in custody.

Cavalcante's escape

The 34-year-old Brazilian escaped last Thursday from the Chester County Prison. Police were working around the clock to catch him using all available means. Cavalcante was convicted of first-degree murder in April 2021. In videos from the Chester County Prison, Cavalcante can be seen crabwalking up the walls.

The state of Pennsylvania had been on alert ever since Cavalcante escaped. Last week, several schools in the state closed due to the danger of Cavalcante being on the loose. Both the Unionville-Chadds Ford School District and the Kennett Consolidated School District decided to temporarily close down schools.

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