Convicted Murderer Who Escaped Pennsylvania Prison Captured After Two-Week Manhunt
September 13, 2023
The two-week search for a convicted murderer who escaped from a Pennsylvania prison has come to an end. Danelo Cavalcante, who was convicted of first-degree murder in 2021, was captured on Wednesday, according to the Pennsylvania State Police. Authorities have scheduled a news conference for 9:30 a.m. ET to provide details of the capture.
Cavalcante was arrested without incident in a wooded area inside the perimeter set up by law enforcement. Members of the task force apprehended him around 8 a.m. today. Photos from CBS Philadelphia’s chopper showed officers in camouflage escorting Cavalcante, who appeared to be wearing a Philadelphia Eagles sweatshirt.
The escapee’s capture follows an incident on Tuesday where Cavalcante stole a rifle from a Chester County garage and evaded shots fired by the homeowner as he fled the scene. On August 31, Cavalcante escaped from Chester County Prison in West Chester by climbing up a wall to the roof area, the same escape route used by another inmate earlier this year.
Surveillance footage from the prison grounds showed Cavalcante hoisting himself up from the ground and using a crab-walk to climb upward until he disappeared from the camera’s view. The Pennsylvania Attorney General’s Office is investigating the escape, and Governor Josh Shapiro called for answers from Chester County officials regarding the security lapse.
Cavalcante, a 34-year-old Brazilian national, was convicted last month of first-degree murder for killing his former girlfriend, Deborah Brandao, in April 2021. He allegedly stabbed her to death in front of her young children. Cavalcante is also wanted in connection with a homicide in Brazil. Throughout the manhunt, law enforcement repeatedly described him as “extremely dangerous.”
During the search, Cavalcante was seen multiple times in and around Chester County, leading to school closures and temporary shelter-in-place orders. The manhunt initially focused on the densely wooded area around Longwood Gardens, which sits atop a network of underground tunnels.
Efforts to locate Cavalcante intensified this week. On Monday night, a driver reported spotting a man believed to be the escapee along the side of a road near Route 100. However, by the time the driver returned to check, the man had vanished. Mud prints matching Cavalcante’s prison shoes were found in the area and were tracked to the discarded shoes. Additionally, a resident reported that a pair of work boots had been stolen from their porch.
The capture of Danelo Cavalcante brings relief to the community and puts an end to the significant law enforcement effort involved in his apprehension. Updates on the case will be provided in due course.
This is a breaking news story and will be updated.
Source: CBS News, CBS Philadelphia