Former fugitive, Danelo Cavalcante (34) was captured on September 13th after a 13-day manhunt following his flee from the Chester County Prison in Chester County, Pennsylvania.
Cavalcante was initially sentenced to life in prison on August 22nd, being convicted of first-degree murder after gruesomely stabbing his ex-girlfriend to death back in 2021 as her very own children observed the attack.
Prior to this crime Cavalcante was wanted back in his home country, Brazil, after being convicted of a killing there, back in 2017. Attorneys say that Cavalcante murdered his ex-girlfriend after she threatened to report his crimes from Brazil to authorities.
After just a few short days of being held in Chester County prison, Cavalcante was able to escape by “crab-walking” up 2 walls of the prison yard when out exercising. Once on the rooftop of the prison, he climbed through razor wire, which had been put there after a previous inmate attempted to flee the same way.
Authorities say that there were no guards out on the yard at that time, and no one observing the inmates, making his escape relatively easy.
Following his escape from the prison grounds Cavalcante was not spotted by police or authority for nearly two weeks. He was last seen on the prison security cameras scaling the wall but from there on out, only home security cameras and a few civilians spotted Cavalcante as he created havoc and fear throughout Chester County for weeks on end.
During his time on the run Danelo Cavalcante stole numerous items to assist him in hiding from authorities, civilians, police and SWAT.
On October 11th Cavalcante stole an Eagles sweatshirt, black sweatpants and a pair of work boots from a home in the area. Additionally, he broke into another home and stole a backpack and then used a razor he found in the home to shave his beard.
Later he drove 20 miles north to an area near Phoenixville in a stolen van. Following that he stopped at two previous coworkers’ houses, pleading for assistance, in which they declined.
Then later that night he wandered into an open garage to steal a rifle that was openly displayed on the wall. However the homeowner was sitting in his garage. After noticing Cavalcante coming toward his home, he quickly grabbed another gun, his .22-caliber rifle that was loaded, perched in the corner of the garage, and began shooting at Cavalcante while calling the police at 10:10 pm ET.
State Police Lt. Col. George Bivens told a news briefing, Cavalcante “fled with the rifle” while being shot at by the homeowner’s firearm. Bivens believes Cavalcante left the scene unharmed and shortly before authorities arrived at the home.
Although Cavalcante was seen as “very dangerous” before this, now he’s “armed and extremely dangerous.” said Bievens
As the case carried on Cavalcante’s hurried encounters with civilians majorly contributed to the development of the manhunt.
“We had a lot of cancellations and reschedules, due to the lack of sleep and people being on lockdown,” said Michelle Sakal, an optometrist at a local eye doctor in the area.
Around 1:00 am on September 13th, a Drug Enforcement Administration used an aircraft to detect Cavalcante using thermal heat imaging. After tracking a heat source west of Pennsylvania Route 100, state police and tactical teams from border control started heading in that area.
A feeling of safety and relief filled the area around approximately 8:00 am when Pennsylvania State Police announced that the hunt for Danelo Cavalcante was over and he had been captured.
Tactical teams surprised Cavalcante, crawling through thick underbrush to take him into custody. Although he resisted, K9 officer Yoda subdued Cavalcante, who suffered a minor scalp wound from the attack.
“Our nightmare is finally over and the good guys won,” Chester County District Attorney Deb Ryan said.
Currently Cavalcante is being held in a maximum security guard prison, SCI Phoenix awaiting a preliminary hearing arranged for September 27th.
The town and community impacted by Danelo Cavalcante’s escape is grateful that the hunt is over, now going to bed with a feeling of safety that had been stripped from them for too long. Many share that they are eager to have businesses reopen and get back to normal.
