The hunt for convicted killer Danelo Cavalcante, who made a daring escape from a Pennsylvania prison a week and a half ago, took an unexpected turn as officials revealed he was sighted more than 20 miles away from their concentrated search area. Cavalcante reportedly managed to breach the police perimeter, embezzled a van, and embarked on a flight northward.
Now 34-years-old, Cavalcante is reported to have changed his appearance since ditching the vehicle— swapping his observable facial hair for a clean-shaven disguise and choosing a green hooded jumper for concealment. Pennsylvania State Police’s george Bivens leads the manhunt and advised inhabitants to heighten security around their homes and vehicles to quash any opportunities that could ease the fugitive’s evasion.
The escapee’s dramatic departure kicked off an intense and ongoing search, rooted in the immediate vicinity of Chester County Prison from which he had absconded. The abandoned pursuit was especially dense within Longwood Gardens, an approximate three miles from the penitentiary, where numerous sightings of Cavalcante had been reported.
However, on Saturday evening, the incarcerated murderer managed to steal a 2020 Ford Transit van, located surprisingly close—the getaway vehicle was found to be less than a mile from the police perimeter. Authorities speculate that Cavalcante then travelled to East Pikeland, where he sought an old acquaintance.
Cavalcante’s escape marks roughly two weeks after his conviction of first-degree murder for the brutal killing of former girlfriend, Deborah Brandão, last year. The gruesome murder, committed in the presence of her two children, recorded a chilling 38 stab wounds inflicted upon Brandão. The children have since been placed under the care of her sister.
Adding to his rap sheet, Cavalcante is also a prime suspect on a 2017 murder case in Brazil, his home country, according to a representative from the US Marshals Service.
Cavalcante’s tenacious longing for freedom was laid bare in a surveillance recording. The video displayed his creativity as he adopted a “crab walk” through an exercise yard to pass unnoticed between two walls. Upon exiting, he sprinted across a roof, scaled an additional fence, and navigated through razor wire. The resourceful escape was neither seen nor reported by the duty tower guard, who was later terminated from his position.
Residents around the prison had been experiencing heightened fear due to the heavy police presence. The shift of the manhunt to the north has provided them with an unexpected relief. However, the escape has provoked considerable tension amongst the victims’ family, who have fortified their homes out of terror. Despite being under 24-hour police protection, officials state that the family continues to live in fear.
As new developments continue to unfold, the focus of the manhunt has now been reset to a broader scale. Despite setbacks, authorities are unyielding in their pursuit, firmly believing that Cavalcante still resides within the confines of Pennsylvania.
