In a significant development, Danelo Cavalcante, the fugitive who had been on the run for nearly two weeks after escaping from Chester County Prison, was apprehended alive in Pennsylvania, according to a statement by the state police on Wednesday morning.
Late Tuesday into Wednesday, large contingents of heavily armed police were observed establishing a perimeter in the South Coventry Township area. However, the exact location where Cavalcante was ultimately cornered by law enforcement remains undisclosed.
A law enforcement source informed Fox News that Cavalcante was apprehended near a residence from which he had stolen a .22-caliber rifle equipped with a mounted scope and flashlight. The theft occurred on Monday night from an unsecured garage, following which Cavalcante fled the scene as the homeowner fired at him with a pistol.
The Pennsylvania State Police had previously issued a warning to residents to remain indoors, secure their vehicles, and lock their doors due to the armed and "extremely dangerous" Cavalcante being at large.
The extensive manhunt for Cavalcante involved over 500 law enforcement officers from state, local, and federal agencies, covering challenging, wooded terrain. The ongoing search operation led to the closure of several school districts for multiple days, leaving residents in a state of heightened alert.
Cavalcante, aged 34, made his daring escape from a Chester County facility on August 31. Last week, officials released footage of Cavalcante's escape, which showed him scaling a wall in a crab-walk manner, pushing through razor wire, running across the roof, scaling another fence, and pushing through more razor wire before finally exiting the prison.
Cavalcante was serving a life sentence for the brutal murder of his ex-girlfriend in 2021, whom he stabbed 38 times in front of her children. He was also wanted for a 2017 murder in Brazil over a vehicle repair debt. Cavalcante was reportedly in the U.S. illegally.
Following the conclusion of the "nightmare" manhunt, Chester County Commissioners Marian Moskowitz, Josh Maxwell, and Michelle Kichline issued a joint statement. They announced immediate security enhancements at Chester County Prison, including the engagement of security contractors for permanent changes to the exercise yards and a review and necessary modification of security measures and communication procedures for residents living close to the prison.
The commissioners expressed their gratitude to law enforcement, the community, businesses, and school districts for their support during the search operation.
Meanwhile, Cavalcante's sister, Eleni Cavalcante, was arrested by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement over "some immigration issues" and faces possible deportation. Police reported on Sunday that she was not cooperating with authorities in the search for her brother.
During the manhunt, authorities broadcast a message from Cavalcante's mother, Iracema Cavalcante, via helicopter, urging her son to surrender. Speaking to The New York Times from her home in rural Brazil, Iracema Cavalcante acknowledged her son's guilt in the murders but suggested that he might be better off dying than spending his life in prison.
"If its to go to a place to suffer and die in that place, its better to die soon," she told the newspaper. "You dont have to suffer so much, just to die later."
Login