Escaped murderer Danelo Cavalcante, who had been on the run in Pennsylvania for two weeks, was captured in the woods by a team of tactical officers. During his time as a fugitive, Cavalcante broke into homes for food, changed his appearance, stole a van and rifle, and eluded authorities.
Cavalcante’s heat signature was initially detected by aircraft around 1 a.m., but inclement weather delayed the tracking efforts until morning. Tactical teams secured the area and subsequently used search dogs to close in on him. Despite still being armed with a rifle, Cavalcante attempted to escape by crawling through dense underbrush but was eventually apprehended after 8 a.m. during a struggle. He suffered a minor scalp wound from a police dog bite, but no shots were fired during the arrest.
The capture of Cavalcante marked the end of a 14-day search that had alarmed residents and disrupted the local community. Schools were forced to close, residents were urged to secure their homes, and roads were blocked during the busy Labor Day weekend.
Cavalcante had escaped from a jail in Chester County, Pennsylvania, on August 31 by scaling two walls topped with razor wire, jumping from the roof, and fleeing. He had been awaiting transfer to a state prison after being sentenced for the fatal stabbing of his girlfriend and was also wanted in connection with another killing in Brazil.
Authorities revealed that Cavalcante had managed to leave the initial search area, changed his appearance, and stole a vehicle to seek aid from former co-workers in another part of the county before abandoning the vehicle. He then stole a rifle from an open garage and was eventually spotted by a motorist, leading to his capture.
Cavalcante had received a life sentence in Pennsylvania for the murder of his ex-girlfriend, Deborah Brandao, in 2021. Prosecutors alleged that he killed her to prevent her from informing the police about his involvement in the Brazil killing. The escape had garnered significant attention in Brazil, where Cavalcante was accused of “double qualified homicide” in connection with another murder.
The tower guard on duty during Cavalcante’s escape was terminated from their position, and the escape went undetected for over an hour until a headcount revealed his absence.
Thank you to our law enforcement partners and the community whose support brought this operation to a successful conclusion. pic.twitter.com/ogmZKg1fGr
— PA State Police (@PAStatePolice) September 13, 2023