After a gruelling two-week manhunt spanning rural Pennsylvania, fugitive murderer Danelo Cavalcante, 34, was finally tracked down by authorities. During his time on the run, Cavalcante survived on watermelon and had plans to escape to either Canada or Puerto Rico, according to US police.

Cavalcante, who had been convicted of murdering his girlfriend in front of her children, had recently begun serving his prison sentence when he managed to escape on August 31st. He evaded capture despite hundreds of heavily armed police and federal officers, roadblocks, drones, helicopters, and a massive search effort. His tactics included moving only at night, seeking shelter in dense undergrowth, and burying his waste to avoid leaving traces.

Ultimately, it was a heat-detecting aircraft that spotted him, leading to his arrest. A Belgian Malinois police dog named Yoda played a crucial role in his capture by biting him on the head, causing profuse bleeding.

US Marshal Robert Clark explained, “His end game was to carjack somebody… and head north either towards Canada or he intended to get to Puerto Rico. That was his plan in the next 24 hours so there wasn’t a better time for us to locate and apprehend him.”

During his escape, Cavalcante managed to steal a rifle with a scope and a backpack containing a razor, which he used to alter his appearance. Despite law enforcement officers coming close to him on several occasions, Cavalcante remained elusive and changed locations to avoid capture.

He also stole and subsequently abandoned a truck and was captured on security cameras multiple times during his flight from justice. Following his apprehension, Cavalcante was shown in photographs wearing a Philadelphia Eagles sweatshirt, surrounded by heavily armed officers in camouflage.

Cavalcante has since been moved to a maximum-security prison in Montgomery County, Pennsylvania, where he will face charges related to his escape.