One of the dogs who helped Pennsylvania authorities re-capture escaped killer Danelo Cavalcante this summer got a special nod in the national spotlight this weekend.
Rom, a K9 tracking dog for the Pennsylvania State Police who helped locate and corner the escaped convict, was honored in a special ceremony at The National Dog Show in Montgomery County on Saturday. The 3-year-old police canine was reportedly one of the stars of the show, where visitors lined up to have their photo taken with him, 6 ABC reported.
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Rom was one of several state police K9 dogs who aided in the manhunt for Cavalcante after the convicted murderer escaped from Chester County Prison by climbing up a prison yard wall on Aug. 31. After successfully evading authorities for two weeks, Cavalcante was found and taken back into custody on Sept. 13.
Police K-9s like Rom – and Yoda, the dog that ultimately honed in on and subdued Cavalcante by biting – played a vital role in finding and apprehending the escaped convict. Rom was one of the K9 tracking dogs that led authorities to Cavalcante after he was spotted on a thermal imaging camera in Northern Chester County. Cavalcante had a minor dog bite wound when he was taken into custody, state police said at the time.
Earlier this month, additional charges were filed against Cavalcante for crimes he allegedly committed after escaping from Chester County Prison. Cavalcante, who is already serving a life sentence for murdering his exgirlfriend, was charged with burglary, theft, trespassing and other offenses he committed while on the run. Nine of those new charges are felonies.
The National Dog Show, which is put on annually by the Kennel Club of Philadelphia, is the most-viewed dog show in the United States. The annual event features over 2,000 dogs and 205 breeds.