The Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS) recently announced the capture of a murder suspect following a manhunt that stretched for miles across Frio County. Naudy Hernandez Perez, a 25-year-old man with a standing warrant for a fatal shooting in Dallas County, was apprehended with the assistance of DPS K-9 Bona and her handler, Trooper Landon Rabun. Running through the rural terrain, Perez was arrested after a vehicular pursuit that ended in his flight on foot, as detailed by DPS News.
On the evening of July 11, Trooper Rabun and K-9 Bona joined the chase after a Medina County Sheriff’s Deputy initiated a vehicle pursuit on I-35. Fleeing his vehicle, Perez made off into the brush, setting off the hours-long search. Multiple law enforcement agencies quickly cordoned off the area to provide security for the DPS K-9 Team as they began the search. Employing her tracking skills, K-9 Bona located Perez hiding beneath a thick tree, nearly three hours later, attempting to evade capture outfitted in fugitive garb. The successful operation concluded with Perez being booked at the Medina County Jail without incident. He currently faces charges of murder and evading arrest.
K-9 Bona, a 3-year-old Belgian Malinois, has been an active member of DPS since 2022 and is one of more than 70 commissioned K-9s that serve across Texas. In addition to tracking fugitives, these dogs contribute to the detection of narcotics and explosives, playing a crucial part in state and community security. Footage of K-9 Bona's pursuit of the suspect in Frio County can be viewed here, where one can also find photos of her with Trooper Rabun, as they contributed to the broader narrative of law enforcement's use of K-9 units in operational effectiveness.
