Danelo Cavalcante: Meet Yoda, the dog who helped capture escaped prisoner

SOUTH COVENTRY TOWNSHIP, Pa. — A 4-year-old Belgian Malinois shepherd was one of the heroes who captured escaped prisoner Danelo Cavalcante on Wednesday.

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Yoda, a member of a U.S. Border Patrol tactical unit -- called BORTAC -- from El Paso, Texas, was used by Pennsylvania authorities to capture Cavalcante, who had eluded authorities for two weeks.

BORTAC officers released the dog after Cavalcante attempted to flee agents and state police officers who had surrounded the fugitive in thick underbrush, The Philadelphia Inquirer reported.

Cavalcante began to crawl through heavy underbrush while holding a rifle to try to escape, but Yoda was able to catch him, WPVI-TV reported.

“When the dog got to him, he then went flat with the dog on him -- the dog was able to detain him there,” State Police Lt. Col. George Bivens said at a news conference. “I was told the rifle was within arm’s length.”

Officers said that Yoda played an important role in preventing Cavalcante from using the rifle in his possession, WPVI reported.

The dog first bit Cavalcante’s scalp and then his thigh, Deputy U.S. Marshal Robert Clark told reporters. “At which time, Cavalcante submitted.

“I think he was in pain at that point,” Clark said. “He was probably in excruciating pain.”

Bivens said that police dogs play “a very important role” in safely subduing subjects. Law enforcement dogs are trained to attack once and will release on command, the Inquirer reported.

The American Kennel Club calls the Belgian Malinois a “smart, confident, and versatile” breed that works hard and forms unbreakable bonds with humans, the Inquirer reported. It was recognized by the AKC as a breed in 1959.

Belgian Malinois are smaller and lighter than German Shepherds and are sought by police for K-9 operations, according to the newspaper.