Danelo Cavalcante prison escape: Murder convict spotted in Pennsylvania town as search enters eighth day
The manhunt for convicted killer Danelo Cavalcante has now entered its eighth day with details beginning to emerge about how he managed to escape from prison in Pennsylvania.
Cavalcante, 34, escaped from Chester County Prison days after he was sentenced to life without parole for stabbing his ex-girlfriend Deborah Brandao, 31, to death in front of her two small children. He is also wanted for a 2017 murder in Brazil.
Cavalcante was last spotted in a creek bed near Pennsbury Township on Tuesday evening. Authorities fruitlessly searched the area for hours.
Police said on Wednesday that he broke out by climbing onto the roof from one of the prison’s exercise yards. Newly released video shows Cavalcante crawling up a wall at the prison before he disappears from the frame.
He then jumped down to an area of the prison with less surveillance. A tower officer tasked with observing the site failed to report the incident and Cavalcante’s escape was only noticed during a head count.
It’s the second jailbreak at the prison this year. The inmate who previously attempted to escape used the same method as Cavalcante but was caught within minutes after a tower officer informed prison staff.
Key points
Eighth day search ends with a confirmed sighting of Cavalcante
Surrender message from escaped inmate’s mother blasted into search area
Manhunt launched for ‘extremely dangerous’ escaped murder convict Danelo Cavalcante in Pennsylvania
How did the prisoner escape?
Local schools shuttered as killer remains at large
Stunning video shows Cavalcante escape prison
Pennsyvania residents want to know why it’s taking so long to catch Danelo Cavalcante
10:30 , Maroosha Muzaffar
Residents of the suburban Pennsylvania county where a full-scale manhunt is underway for an escaped inmate have said they can’t understand why it has taken authorities so long to capture the “extremely dangerous” killer.
The manhunt for convicted murderer Danelo Cavalcante entered its eighth day on Thursday as several law enforcement agencies, including the US Marshals, SWAT, and local and state police, continue searching a vast wooded area in Chester County where he is believed to be hiding.
The initial search perimeter set up following Cavalcante’s escape from the county’s prison on 31 August had to be expanded yet again on Tuesday after the fugitive was spotted in a creek bed in Pennsbury Township. Cavalcante is now thought to be somewhere near routes 926 and 52, Hillendale Road and Creek Road.
Residents of Pocopson and Pennsbury townships have voiced fears that Cavalcante, who was recently sentenced to life in prison for killing his ex-girlfriend, could break into their homes. A West Chester resident previously said the fugitive, described by authorities as “extremely dangerous,” gained access to his home in the middle of the night and stole food and supplies.
Pennsyvania residents want to know why it’s taking so long to catch Danelo Cavalcante
Search expanded after Cavalcante sneaks past perimeter
10:00 , Andrea Blanco
Authorities said during a press conference on Thursday that the search perimeter now expands eight to ten square miles.
“I have every reason to believe he is within that perimeter,” Lt Col Bevins said.
“We are working really hard to capture the convict and not let him go anywhere.”
Danelo Cavalcante killed his girlfriend in front of her children. Now he’s on the run after a prison break
09:30 , Maroosha Muzaffar
Danelo Cavalcante was sentenced to life behind bars for the April 2021 murder of Deborah Brandao. He broke free from jail days later, sparking an ongoing manhunt, Faiza Saqib reports:
He killed his girlfriend in front of her kids. Now he’s on the run from prison
Police say Cavalcante has not left any items behind
09:00 , Andrea Blanco
Lt Col Bivens said that investigators have not been able to find any traces left behind by Cavalcante.
An eight-mile search perimeter has been set up based on sightings of Cavalcante.
Mr Bivens said authorities were facing challenges when canvassing the vast area where Cavalcante is believed to be hiding.
“It’s not a perfect piece of land that you can just march through. You’ve got businesses, residences, highways, hills, valleys, wooded areas,” Mr Bivens said.
Popular tourist destination Longwood Gardens temporarily shuts until further notice
08:30 , Maroosha Muzaffar
Longwood Gardens, a popular tourist destination in Chester County will be closed until further notice, officials said in a message to members late yesterday night.
“As the search for the escaped prisoner from Chester County Prison continues, our Gardens are closed until further notice,” Longwood Gardens said in its message.
“Extremely dangerous” Danelo Cavalcante, a convicted murderer, remains at large since escaping from Chester County Prison last week.
Pennsylvania residents are scared Cavalcante could break into their homes
08:00 , Andrea Blanco
Residents of Pocopson and Pennsbury townships have voiced fears that Cavalcante, who was recently sentenced to life in prison for killing his ex-girlfriend, could break into their homes.
A West Chester resident previously said the fugitive, described by authorities as “extremely dangerous,” gained access to his home in the middle of the night and stole food and supplies.
Jennifer Briggs, who lives about a mile and a half from Chester County Prison, told CNN that the past week has been unsettling.
Ms Briggs said that her children, who are attending classes virtually after their school was shuttered over the manhunt, are sleeping in the same bedroom with her.
“Anytime you would leave, they were searching your car to make sure he wasn’t in the car,” Ms Briggs recounted. “I had my kids in the car with me, so that was probably the most unsettling moment.”
Authorities try to flush out escaped murderer in suburban Philadelphia manhunt
07:30 , Maroosha Muzaffar
Two suburban Philadelphia school districts remained shuttered and one of the nation’s premier botanical gardens was closed Wednesday as authorities worked to flush out a convicted murderer who escaped from prison last week.
Danelo Cavalcante, 34, has been spotted five times since he escaped Thursday from the Chester State Prison. The most recent sighting came Monday night at Longwood Gardens, where trail surveillance video captured him walking through the area with a duffel bag, backpack and hooded sweatshirt he apparently stole while on the run.
Authorities try to flush out escaped murderer in suburban Philadelphia manhunt
- AP
IN PICTURES: The search for Danelo Cavalcante
07:00 , Andrea Blanco
ICYMI: Danelo Cavalcante’s escape from Pennsylvania prison captured in newly released video
06:30 , Maroosha Muzaffar
Pennsylvania authorities have released footage of the moment murder convict Danelo Cavalcante escaped from prison.
At a press conference on Wednesday, state police said that Cavalcante managed to escape from Chester County Prison by jumping onto the facility’s roof from an exercise yard. Surveillance video shows Cavalcante crawling up a wall before he disappears from the frame.
Watch here:
Danelo Cavalcante’s prison escape captured in new video
Last sighting was reported on Tuesday evening, police say
06:00 , Andrea Blanco
Cavalcante was last spotted near Chandler Road in Pennsbury Township on Tuesday evening. Local and federal law enforcement agencies searched the area for hours but were not able to locate Cavalcante.
Mr Bivens said that search units were experiencing challenges while canvassing the vast wooded area where Cavalcante is believed to be hiding. A K-9 unit had to be hospitalised on Tuesday, Mr Bivens said, after suffering a heat-related medical incident.
“I don’t think he has more ability than we initially gave him credit for, I think it’s a very challenging area,” Mr Bivens said. “We have had some searches like this in the past ... some take hours, some take days, some take months.”
How did Danelo Cavalcante manage to slip past Pennsylvania authorities twice?
05:30 , Maroosha Muzaffar
Authorities are facing mounting questions over two escapes by Danelo Cavalcante - one from prison and a second from a search perimeter.
Danelo Cavalcante remains on the run a week after the convicted murderer managed to escape Chester County Prison on 31 August. The jailbreak has prompted a full-scale manhunt and local school closures after officials confirmed that Cavalcante snuck past the initial two-mile search perimeter.
District Attorney Deb Ryan said the incident was under investigation but declined to elaborate on how Cavalcante — who was recently sentenced to life for murdering his former girlfriend — was able to bypass security at the correctional facility.
Police sources who spoke to The Philadelphia Inquirer under the condition of anonymity have now shed light on the circumstances surrounding the 34-year-old’s escape. According to a law enforcement official with knowledge of the escape, Cavalcante climbed onto the prison’s roof from one of the exercise yards.
How did Danelo Cavalcante manage to slip past Pennsylvania authorities twice?
Eighth day search ends with a confirmed sighting of Cavalcante
05:18 , Maroosha Muzaffar
The eighth day of the search for Danelo Cavalcante concluded with a significant development — a confirmed sighting of the convicted murderer near Longwood Gardens.
At approximately noon, a resident reported a sighting of Cavalcante, 34, running in a wooded area near Longwood Gardens, Pennsylvania State Police Lt Col George Bivens said.
This location is close to the region where a trail camera captured images of Cavalcante hiking through the woods twice in the span of an hour late on Monday.
Mr Bivens told the media: “This is an amazing operation going on here. This is not a situation where we have a police dispatcher sitting and waiting for calls to come in.”
Authorities try to flush out escaped murderer in suburban Philadelphia manhunt
05:00 , Andrea Blanco
Two suburban Philadelphia school districts remained shuttered and one of the nation’s premier botanical gardens was closed as authorities worked to flush out a convicted murderer who escaped from prison last week.
Danelo Cavalcante, 34, has been spotted several times since he escaped Thursday from the Chester State Prison.
The most recent sighting came Monday night at Longwood Gardens, where trail surveillance video captured him walking through the area with a duffel bag, backpack and hooded sweatshirt he apparently stole while on the run.
That sighting led officials to move the search area farther south on Tuesday after they determined that Cavalcante had likely slipped through the original perimeter set by hundreds of local, state and federal law enforcement officers, but they said his movements show he’s feeling the pressure of the massive search and that his options are dwindling.
Sister of woman murdered by ‘dangerous’ fugitive says she hasn’t slept since he went on run
04:30 , Maroosha Muzaffar
The sister of Danelo Cavalcante’s victim has revealed that her life has been tarnished with overwhelming fear since the convict’s escape from prison last week.
Sarah Brandao, sister of the victim Deborah Brandao said in an interview that since Cavalcante’s jailbreak last week, “I have been waking up with fright at night”.
Deborah Brandao was stabbed 38 times by her ex-boyfriend Danelo Cavalcante with a kitchen knife in Schuylkill Township Chester in County, Pennsylvania, back in April 2021.
Sarah Brandao told CNN: “I haven’t slept for many days.” She also recounted the day she was told about her sister’s murder. She said her “world ended”.
“She kept saying that he was extremely jealous, that when he drank he became a different person, that he kept going through her cell phone,” Sarah Brandao said.
Read more here:
Sister of woman murdered by fugitive says she hasn’t slept since his jailbreak
‘He said he was going to do something bad to our lives’, daughter of Cavalcante’s victim told police
04:00 , Andrea Blanco
The daughter of Danelo Cavalcante’s victim told police that he showed up at their house and said he was going to do “something bad to their lives”, according to an affidavit.
The seven-year-old daughter of Deborah Brandao told police that he “pulled two knives out from a black bag that was behind his back”.
She started screaming and Cavalcante hit her with a rock, police wrote in the affidavit.
Cavalcante is also a suspect in a 2017 homicide case in Brazil, according to US Marshals Service.
Father reveals terrifying moment escaped murderer Danelo Cavalcante broke into his home
03:00 , Andrea Blanco
A Pennsylvania man has opened up about the terrifying moment an escaped murder convict Danelo Cavalcante apparently broke into his home while his family was sleeping.
The manhunt for Cavalcante entered its seventh day on Wednesday, with at least five confirmed sightings of the fugitive since he escaped from Chester County Prison on 31 August.
Law enforcement initially set up a two-mile perimeter around a wooded area where Cavalcante was believed to be hiding, but the search was expanded after Cavalcante was caught on trail camera sneaking past the perimeter on Monday. Schools in the district have been closed, and authorities have urged residents to remain aware of their surroundings and secure their homes from the killer.
West Chester resident Ryan Drummond claimed in an interview with The Philadelphia Inquirer that one of Cavalcante’s confirmed sightings occurred at his home. Mr Drummond said that he woke up to noises downstairs on 1 September and realised that there was an intruder.
“I decided not to confront him and thought it was a better move to flick the light switch,” Mr Drummond, whose wife and children were also in the home, told the Inquirer. “And he flicked it back at me, which was terrifying, so I told my wife to call 911.”
Father reveals terrifying moment escaped killer Danelo Cavalcante broke into his home
Why was Danelo Cavalcante sentenced to life?
02:00 , Andrea Blanco
Cavalcante was convicted of the murder of 33-year-old Deboral Brandao on 16 August after the jury deliberated for just 15 minutes. He was sentenced to life in prison on 22 August.
Cavalcante and Brandao reportedly met through mutual friends and moved in together with her two children not long after their two-year relationship began.
Prosecutors outlined his domestic abuse against Brandao during the trial.
It was reported that in June 2020, Cavalcante bit Brandao on her lip hard enough to draw blood and chased her and her children out of their home. Brandao and her kids hid in a neighbour’s apartment and a warrant was issued by police for Cavalcante’s arrest. However, he did not turn himself in.
Later that year, Cavalcante allegedly attacked Brandao again, chasing her with a knife, the Philadelphia Inquirer reported.
Brandao then filed for a temporary abuse order against him, but this lapsed in March 2021 when she did not appear at a hearing.
According to evidence presented at the trial, the two kept in touch and police said Cavalcante drove to Brandao’s home to confront her in April 2021.
While Brandao’s children, then aged seven and three, were playing nearby, Cavalcante pulled her hair and threw her to the ground. He then began to stab her repeatedly.
Brandao was later pronounced dead at Paoli Hospital, the outlet said. Two friends of Cavalcante testified during his trial that they helped the murder convict escape and gave him clean clothes so he could “disappear” for a while.
Prosecutors said Cavalcante killed Brandao to stop her from telling police about his outstanding arrest warrant for murder in Brazil
State police say Cavalcante is ‘feeling the pressure'
01:00 , Andrea Blanco
Authorities said his movements show he’s feeling the pressure of the massive search and that his options are dwindling.
“That pressure we put on him is working. We squeezed him hard enough in a period of a few days where he couldn’t get some relief, and he squeezed out,” Pennsylvania State Police Lt Col George Bevins said at a press conference on Tuesday.
“I wished we could’ve got him, but it’s a large, dark area, with difficult terrain.”
Watch how convicted murderer Danelo Calvacante escaped from prison
Friday 8 September 2023 00:00 , Andrea Blanco
Shocking new footage has shown Danelo Cavalcente’s escape from a Pennsylvania prison by shimmying himself up between two walls.
The criminal broke out of Chester County Prison, southwest of Philadelphia, by climbing between two walls and jumping onto the prison’s roof from the exercise yard.
Cavalcante is thought to have escaped at around 8:50am on 31 August 2023 and is still on the run.
Police believe the manhunt is “wearing Cavalcante down” and are confident of finding him soon.
Cavalcante was in prison for life without parole for the murder of his ex-girlfriend, Deborah Brandão.
Hot weather, dense woods complicating search
Thursday 7 September 2023 23:00 , Andrea Blanco
Authorities said on Tuesday that the woods in the search perimeter are so vast that investigators can only walk a few feet without losing sight of each other.
“Obviously, I wish we would have been able to capture him without him getting through that perimeter, but it’s also not shocking,” Lt Col George Bivens said during a press conference. “It’s dark, it’s a large area. Not to make excuses - it’s difficult terrain.”
$20,000 reward offered for information regarding Cavalcante’s whereabouts
Thursday 7 September 2023 22:17 , Andrea Blanco
The Pennsylvania Crime Stoppers have offered $10,000 for information that leads to Cavalcante’s capture, bringing the reward total to $20,000.
Law enforcement teams, including the US Marshals, SWAT, local, state, and other federal agencies, have joined the search to find Cthe fugitive.
Cavalcante was sentenced to life without parole for stabbing his 33-year-old ex-girlfriend Deborah Brandão to death. He attacked Brandão in Schuylkill Township, back in August 2021, in front of her two children, who were just seven and three years old.
He is also wanted for a 2017 murder in Brazil.
DA says family of Cavalcante’s murder victim are terrified
Thursday 7 September 2023 20:26 , Andrea Blanco
Chester County District Attorney Deb Ryans said during a press conference on Thursday that the family of Deborah Brandao, who was murdered by Cavalcante in 2021, are terrified following his prison escape.
“They do have protection and they are terrified. They haven’t left their home, they’re barricaded inside their home and they are very scared,” Ms Ryan said. “We do have police detail surrounding the home but I know they are very scared and very, very worried.”
Ms Ryan also said that Cavalcante will not be going back to Chester County Prison once he’s captured.
Police say Cavalcante has not left any items behind
Thursday 7 September 2023 20:21 , Andrea Blanco
Lt Col Bivens said that investigators have not been able to find any traces left behind by Cavalcante.
An eight-mile search perimeter has been set up based on sightings of Cavalcante.
Mr Bivens said authorities were facing challenges when canvassing the vast area where Cavalcante is believed to be hiding.
“It’s not a perfect piece of land that you can just march through. You’ve got businesses, residences, highways, hills, valleys, wooded areas,” Mr Bivens said.
Lt Col George Bivens says state police is focusing search on residencial areas
Thursday 7 September 2023 20:16 , Andrea Blanco
Mr Bivens said that authorities were searching residencial areas and what appeared to be abandoned homes.
Authorities were especially focusing on signs of forced entry.
“He’s a very dangerous individual and he remains so,” Mr Bivens said. “He’s already murdered two people in a very brutal manner, one in Brazil and another person here.”
Search perimeter is now eights miles
Thursday 7 September 2023 20:06 , Andrea Blanco
Authorities said during a press conference on Thursday that the search perimeter had to be expanded.
“I have every reason to believe he is within that perimeter,” Lt Col Bevins said. “We are working really hard to capture the convict and not let him go anywhere.”
IN PICTURES: The search for Danelo Cavalcante
Thursday 7 September 2023 19:30 , Andrea Blanco
Sister of woman murdered by ‘dangerous’ fugitive says she hasn’t slept since he went on run
Thursday 7 September 2023 18:50 , Andrea Blanco
Sarah Brandao, sister of the victim Deborah Brandao said in an interview that since Cavalcante’s jailbreak last week, “I have been waking up with fright at night”.
Deborah Brandao was stabbed 38 times by her ex-boyfriend Danelo Cavalcante with a kitchen knife in Schuylkill Township Chester in County, Pennsylvania, back in April 2021.
The Independent’s Marroosha Muzaffar reports:
Sister of woman murdered by fugitive says she hasn’t slept since his jailbreak
Danelo Cavalcante was last seen in a creek bed
Thursday 7 September 2023 18:06 , Andrea Blanco
Cavalcante was last spotted near Chandler Road in Pennsbury Township on Tuesday evening. Local and federal law enforcement agencies searched the area for hours but were not able to locate Cavalcante.
Mr Bivens said that search units were experiencing challenges while canvassing the vast wooded area where Cavalcante is believed to be hiding. A K-9 unit had to be hospitalised on Tuesday, Mr Bivens said, after suffering a heat-related medical incident.
“I don’t think he has more ability than we initially gave him credit for, I think it’s a very challenging area,” Mr Bivens said. “We have had some searches like this in the past ... some take hours, some take days, some take months.”
Last sighting was reported on Tuesday evening, police say
Thursday 7 September 2023 16:58 , Andrea Blanco
Cavalcante was last spotted near Chandler Road in Pennsbury Township on Tuesday evening. Local and federal law enforcement agencies searched the area for hours but were not able to locate Cavalcante.
Mr Bivens said that search units were experiencing challenges while canvassing the vast wooded area where Cavalcante is believed to be hiding. A K-9 unit had to be hospitalised on Tuesday, Mr Bivens said, after suffering a heat-related medical incident.
“I don’t think he has more ability than we initially gave him credit for, I think it’s a very challenging area,” Mr Bivens said. “We have had some searches like this in the past ... some take hours, some take days, some take months.”
‘He said he was going to do something bad to our lives’, daughter of Cavalcante’s victim told police
Thursday 7 September 2023 15:04 , Andrea Blanco
The daughter of Danelo Cavalcante’s victim told police that he showed up at their house and said he was going to do “something bad to their lives”, according to an affidavit.
The seven-year-old daughter of Deborah Brandao told police that he “pulled two knives out from a black bag that was behind his back”.
She started screaming and Cavalcante hit her with a rock, police wrote in the affidavit.
Cavalcante is also a suspect in a 2017 homicide case in Brazil, according to US Marshals Service.
WATCH: CCTV footage shows Danelo Calvacante's prison escape
Thursday 7 September 2023 14:30 , Andrea Blanco
Prison warden on administrative leave amid investigation into jail escape
Thursday 7 September 2023 14:00 , Andrea Blanco
Chester County Prison acting warden Howard Holland said that Cavalcante’s jailbreak was similar to another inmate’s escape back in May. During that incident, a tower officer immediately reported the situation to prison staff and the inmate was apprehended within minutes.
In Cavalcante’s case, his absence was not noticed for nearly an hour.
“While we believed that the security measures we had in place were sufficient, they have proven otherwise,” Mr Holland said. “And we will work to enhance our security ... One key difference in [this] escape is the role of the tower officer whose primary responsibility is to oversee the inmate in the exercise yard.”
The state’s attorney’s office is now investigating the jailbreak. Mr Holland said that the actions of the tower officer, who is on administrative leave, are part of the probe and that appropriate action will be taken against personnel based on the results of the investigation.
Father reveals terrifying moment escaped murderer Danelo Cavalcante broke into his home
Thursday 7 September 2023 13:30 , Maroosha Muzaffar
A Pennsylvania man has opened up about the terrifying moment an escaped murder convict Danelo Cavalcante apparently broke into his home while his family was sleeping.
The manhunt for Cavalcante entered its seventh day on Wednesday, with at least five confirmed sightings of the fugitive since he escaped from Chester County Prison on 31 August.
Law enforcement initially set up a two-mile perimeter around a wooded area where Cavalcante was believed to be hiding, but the search was expanded after Cavalcante was caught on trail camera sneaking past the perimeter on Monday. Schools in the district have been closed, and authorities have urged residents to remain aware of their surroundings and secure their homes from the killer.
West Chester resident Ryan Drummond claimed in an interview with The Philadelphia Inquirer that one of Cavalcante’s confirmed sightings occurred at his home. Mr Drummond said that he woke up to noises downstairs on 1 September and realised that there was an intruder.
“I decided not to confront him and thought it was a better move to flick the light switch,” Mr Drummond, whose wife and children were also in the home, told the Inquirer. “And he flicked it back at me, which was terrifying, so I told my wife to call 911.”
Father reveals terrifying moment escaped killer Danelo Cavalcante broke into his home
Danelo Cavalcante’s escape from Pennsylvania prison captured in newly released video
Thursday 7 September 2023 13:00 , Andrea Blanco
At a press conference on Wednesday, state police said that Cavalcante managed to escape from Chester County Prison by jumping onto the facility’s roof from an exercise yard.
Surveillance video shows Cavalcante crawling up a wall before he disappears from the frame.
Read more:
Danelo Cavalcante’s prison escape captured in new video
How did Danelo Cavalcante manage to slip past Pennsylvania authorities twice?
Thursday 7 September 2023 12:30 , Maroosha Muzaffar
Authorities are facing mounting questions over two escapes by Danelo Cavalcante - one from prison and a second from a search perimeter.
Danelo Cavalcante remains on the run nearly a week after the convicted murderer managed to escape Chester County Prison on 31 August. The jailbreak has prompted a full-scale manhunt and local school closures after officials confirmed that Cavalcante snuck past the initial two-mile search perimeter.
District Attorney Deb Ryan said the incident was under investigation but declined to elaborate on how Cavalcante — who was recently sentenced to life for murdering his former girlfriend — was able to bypass security at the correctional facility.
Police sources who spoke to The Philadelphia Inquirer under the condition of anonymity have now shed light on the circumstances surrounding the 34-year-old’s escape. According to a law enforcement official with knowledge of the escape, Cavalcante climbed onto the prison’s roof from one of the exercise yards.
How did Danelo Cavalcante manage to slip past Pennsylvania authorities twice?
Father reveals terrifying moment escaped murderer Danelo Cavalcante broke into his home
Thursday 7 September 2023 12:00 , Andrea Blanco
A Pennsylvania man has opened up about the terrifying moment an escaped murder convict Danelo Cavalcante apparently broke into his home while his family was sleeping.
Father reveals terrifying moment escaped killer Danelo Cavalcante broke into his home
Last sighting was reported on Tuesday evening, police say
Thursday 7 September 2023 11:30 , Andrea Blanco
Cavalcante was last spotted near Chandler Road in Pennsbury Township on Tuesday evening. Local and federal law enforcement agencies searched the area for hours but were not able to locate him.
Lt Col George Bivens said that search units were experiencing challenges while canvassing the vast wooded area where Cavalcante is believed to be hiding. A K-9 unit had to be hospitalised on Tuesday, Mr Bivens said, after suffering a heat-related medical incident.
“I don’t think he has more ability than we initially gave him credit for, I think it’s a very challenging area,” Mr Bivens said. “We have had some searches like this in the past ... some take hours, some take days, some take months.”
Police say stress is ‘wearing Cavalcante down’
Thursday 7 September 2023 11:00 , Andrea Blanco
Pennsylvania State Lt Col George Bivens said on Wednesday that Cavalcante had some experience hiding and surviving in the woods from growing up in his native Brazil.
However, Mr Biven said that he was confident the manhunt was “wearing Cavalcante down.”
“Despite the location, the background a person comes from. These are hot, humid temperatures. He has no regular means of obtaining food other than if he’s able to break in someplace or scavenge something,” Mr Bivens said. “So it’s a difficult experience ... that is going to definitely take its toll.”
'He said he was going to do something bad to our lives’, daughter of Cavalcante’s victim told police
Thursday 7 September 2023 10:30 , Maroosha Muzaffar
The daughter of Danelo Cavalcante’s victim told police that he showed up at their house and said he was going to do “something bad to their lives”, according to an affidavit.
The seven-year-old daughter of Deborah Brandao told police that he “pulled two knives out from a black bag that was behind his back”.
She started screaming and Cavalcante hit her with a rock, police wrote in the affidavit.
Cavalcante is also a suspect in a 2017 homicide case in Brazil, according to US Marshals Service.
Pennsylvania residents want to know why it’s taking so long to catch Danelo Cavalcante
Thursday 7 September 2023 21:32 , Andrea Blanco
Residents of the suburban Pennsylvania county where a full-scale manhunt is underway for an escaped inmate have said they can’t understand why it has taken authorities so long to capture the “extremely dangerous” killer.
The manhunt for convicted murderer Danelo Cavalcante entered its eighth day on Thursday as several law enforcement agencies, including the US Marshals, SWAT, and local and state police, continue searching a vast wooded area in Chester County where he is believed to be hiding.
Read the full story:
Pennsyvania residents want to know why it’s taking so long to catch Danelo Cavalcante
Danelo Cavalcante brutally murdered former girlfriend in 2021
Thursday 7 September 2023 10:00 , Andrea Blanco
Why was Danelo Cavalcante sentenced to life?
Cavalcante was convicted of the murder of 33-year-old Deboral Brandao on 16 August after the jury deliberated for just 15 minutes. He was sentenced to life in prison on 22 August.
Cavalcante and Brandao reportedly met through mutual friends and moved in together with her two children not long after their two-year relationship began.
Prosecutors outlined his domestic abuse against Brandao during the trial.
It was reported that in June 2020, Cavalcante bit Brandao on her lip hard enough to draw blood and chased her and her children out of their home. Brandao and her kids hid in a neighbour’s apartment and a warrant was issued by police for Cavalcante’s arrest. However, he did not turn himself in.
Later that year, Cavalcante allegedly attacked Brandao again, chasing her with a knife, the Philadelphia Inquirer reported.
Brandao then filed for a temporary abuse order against him, but this lapsed in March 2021 when she did not appear at a hearing.
According to evidence presented at the trial, the two kept in touch and police said Cavalcante drove to Brandao’s home to confront her in April 2021.
While Brandao’s children, then aged seven and three, were playing nearby, Cavalcante pulled her hair and threw her to the ground. He then began to stab her repeatedly.
Brandao was later pronounced dead at Paoli Hospital, the outlet said. Two friends of Cavalcante testified during his trial that they helped the murder convict escape and gave him clean clothes so he could “disappear” for a while.
Prosecutors said Cavalcante killed Brandao to stop her from telling police about his outstanding arrest warrant for murder in Brazil.
Cavalcante used 'crab-walking' method to break free from prison
Thursday 7 September 2023 09:30 , Maroosha Muzaffar
Danelo Cavalcante managed to break out of prison using an unconventional method, according to officials, which involved “crab-walking” up a wall, pushing through razor wire and making a dash across a roof.
Acting warden Howard Holland of Chester County Prison said during a news conference on Wednesday that 34-year-old Cavalcante executed his escape on the morning of 31 August while his prison block was in the exercise yard, and an officer in a tower failed to notice his departure.
WATCH: Stunning video shows Danelo Cavalcante escape prison
Thursday 7 September 2023 09:00 , Andrea Blanco
$20,000 reward offered for information regarding Cavalcante’s whereabouts
Thursday 7 September 2023 08:30 , Andrea Blanco
The Pennsylvania Crime Stoppers have offered $10,000 for information that leads to Cavalcante’s capture, bringing the reward total to $20,000.
Law enforcement teams, including the US Marshals, SWAT, local, state, and other federal agencies, have joined the search to find the fugitive.
Cavalcante was sentenced to life without parole for stabbing his 33-year-old ex-girlfriend Deborah Brandão to death. He attacked Brandão in Schuylkill Township, back in August 2021, in front of her two children, who were just seven and three years old.
He is also wanted for a 2017 murder in Brazil.
Manhunt enters eight day as Cavalcante remains on the run
Thursday 7 September 2023 08:00 , Andrea Blanco
Cavalcante is described as a Brazilian man with a 5-foot height and light complexion, shaggy black curly hair and brown eyes. He speaks Portuguese and Spanish.
Authorities urged people to not approach Cavalcante and released his pictures from when he was last seen.
Danelo Cavalcante killed his girlfriend in front of her children. Now he’s on the run after a prison break
Thursday 7 September 2023 07:30 , Maroosha Muzaffar
Danelo Cavalcante was sentenced to life behind bars for the April 2021 murder of Deborah Brandao. He broke free from jail days later, sparking an ongoing manhunt, Faiza Saqib reports
He killed his girlfriend in front of her kids. Now he’s on the run from prison
‘I intend to stress him'
Thursday 7 September 2023 07:00 , Andrea Blanco
Officials said Cavalcante’s movements show he’s feeling the pressure of the massive search and that his options are dwindling.
“I intend to stress him. I want to push him hard. He’ll make mistakes,” Pennsylvania State Police Lt Col George Bevins said at an earlier press conference. “He’ll show himself. He’s already shown himself, we believe, a few times.”
Law enforcement teams, including the US Marshals, SWAT, local, state, and other federal agencies, have joined the search to find Cavalcante.
Authorities are also offering a $20,000 reward for information that leads to his arrest.
Search for escaped murderer prompts Pennsylvania school closures after mother’s surrender message
Thursday 7 September 2023 06:30 , Maroosha Muzaffar
Pennsylvania police have shuttered local schools “out of abundance of caution” as the search for escaped murderer Danelo Cavalcante enters its sixth day.
In a memo sent to parents, the Kennett Consolidated School District in Chester County said that schools across the district would be closed on Tuesday as the “search situation” to find the convicted killer has now changed.
“We were informed early this morning by law enforcement that the search situation has evolved and out of an abundance of caution, schools and offices will be closed today,” Superintendent Dr Dusty Blakey said in the letter.
“We understand that situations like these can be unsettling. The safety and security of our KCSD community remain our top priority. We are committed to taking all necessary precautions and measures to ensure the safety of our students and staff.”
The Spt urged the community to stay informed about the situation which continues to rapidly evolve.
Police shut schools in search for Danelo Cavalcante after mother’s surrender message
ICYMI: Manhunt launched for ‘extremely dangerous’ escaped murder convict Danelo Cavalcante in Pennsylvania
Thursday 7 September 2023 06:00 , Maroosha Muzaffar
An “extremely dangerous” murder convict has escaped from a Pennsylvania prison prompting authorities to launch a manhunt.
Danelo Cavalcante, a 34-year-old man who stabbed his ex-girlfriend to death, escaped from Chester County Prison in West Chester around 8.45am on Thursday, said the county’s district attorney Deb Ryan.
She said the convict is “considered an extremely dangerous man” and urged for the public’s help in locating him.
Cavalcante was convicted on 16 August for the murder of his 33-year-old former girlfriend Deborah Brandao in April 2021 in front of her children. He was sentenced to life in prison without parole for stabbing the woman to death.
He is also wanted for a homicide in 2017 in Brazil, the US Marshals Service for Philadelphia said.
Manhunt launched for murder convict who escaped Pennsylvania jail
Watch: CCTV footage shows Danelo Calvacante’s prison escape
Thursday 7 September 2023 05:30 , Maroosha Muzaffar
Authorities try to flush out escaped murderer in suburban Philadelphia manhunt
Thursday 7 September 2023 05:00 , Andrea Blanco
Two suburban Philadelphia school districts remained shuttered and one of the nation’s premier botanical gardens was closed Wednesday as authorities worked to flush out a convicted murderer who escaped from prison last week.
Danelo Cavalcante, 34, has been spotted five times since he escaped Thursday from the Chester State Prison.
The most recent sighting came Monday night at Longwood Gardens, where trail surveillance video captured him walking through the area with a duffel bag, backpack and hooded sweatshirt he apparently stole while on the run.
That sighting led officials to move the search area farther south on Tuesday after they determined that Cavalcante had likely slipped through the original perimeter set by hundreds of local, state and federal law enforcement officers, but they said his movements show he’s feeling the pressure of the massive search and that his options are dwindling.
AP
Prison warden on administrative leave amid investigation into jail escape
Thursday 7 September 2023 04:30 , Andrea Blanco
Chester County Prison acting warden Howard Holland said that Cavalcante’s jailbreak was similar to another inmate’s escape back in May. During that incident, a tower officer immediately reported the situation to prison staff and the inmate was apprehended within minutes.
In Cavalcante’s case, his absence was not noticed for nearly an hour.
“While we believed that the security measures we had in place were sufficient, they have proven otherwise,” Mr Holland said. “And we will work to enhance our security ... One key difference in [this] escape is the role of the tower officer whose primary responsibility is to oversee the inmate in the exercise yard.”
The state’s attorney’s office is now investigating the jailbreak. Mr Holland said that the actions of the tower officer, who is on administrative leave, are part of the probe and that appropriate action will be taken against personnel based on the results of the investigation.
K-9 unit suffers heat-related medical episode during search
Thursday 7 September 2023 04:00 , Andrea Blanco
Authorities said that the woods in the search perimeter are so vast that investigators can only walk a few feet without losing sight of each other.
Pennsylvania State Lt Col George Bivens said that search units were experiencing challenges amid hot weather while canvassing the area where Cavalcante is believed to be hiding.
A K-9 unit had to be hospitalised on Tuesday, Mr Bivens said, after suffering a heat-related medical incident.
“I don’t think he has more ability than we initially gave him credit for, I think it’s a very challenging area,” Mr Bivens said. “We have had some searches like this in the past ... some take hours, some take days, some take months.”
ICYMI: Confirmed sightings of Danelo Cavalcante
Thursday 7 September 2023 03:00 , Andrea Blanco
Cavalcante escaped from the Chester County Prison in Pocopson Township, Pennsylvania, at around 8.50am on Thursday (31 August).
These are some of the confirmed sightings:
He was captured on camera at Longwood Gardens in East Marlborough Township, Chester County, on Monday (4 September.) He travelled north at around 8.21pm and was then spotted coming past the camera again at 9.33pm local time.
Cavalcante has been seen at the intersection of Routes 926 and 52, north on Route 52 to Parkersville Road, southeast to Route 926 and west to the intersection of Routes 926 and 52 in Pocopson Township, police said.
Cavalcante was last spotted near Chandler Road in Pennsbury Township on Tuesday evening. Local and federal law enforcement agencies searched the area for hours but were not able to locate Cavalcante.
A timeline of Danelo Cavalcante’s escape
Thursday 7 September 2023 02:00 , Andrea Blanco
Cavalcante began his escape at around 8.50am on 31 August, police said, while other inmates in the exercise yard played basketball.
He stretched his body to fit the length of a hallway and climbed onto the roof of the prison. He then made his way out of the prison on foot.
It was only nearly an hour later that correction officers realised an inmate was missing during a head count.
The prison was locked at 9.50am and the 911 centre was notified of the escape 10 minutes later.
WATCH: CCTV footage shows Danelo Calvacante's prison escape
Thursday 7 September 2023 01:00 , Andrea Blanco
$20,000 reward offered for information regarding Cavalcante’s whereabouts
Thursday 7 September 2023 00:00 , Andrea Blanco
The Pennsylvania Crime Stoppers have offered $10,000 for information that leads to Cavalcante’s capture, bringing the reward total to $20,000.
Law enforcement teams, including the US Marshals, SWAT, local, state, and other federal agencies, have joined the search to find Cthe fugitive.
Cavalcante was sentenced to life without parole for stabbing his 33-year-old ex-girlfriend Deborah Brandão to death. He attacked Brandão in Schuylkill Township, back in August 2021, in front of her two children, who were just seven and three years old.
He is also wanted for a 2017 murder in Brazil.
