13 September 2023 , 12:36
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A murderer who escaped from jail by crab walking up the walls was caught, bitten by a police dog, and arrested after a two-week manhunt.
Killer Danelo Cavalcante, who escaped his Pennsylvania jail on August 31, was hiding in the woods when a huge team made up of multiple law enforcement agencies was able to pounce on him.
At a press conference on Wednesday morning, Lieutenant Colonel Bivens explained that Cavalcante was finally caught after 12 days using thermal heat technology to track the criminal as he moved through the forest. He was armed with a stolen rifle.
When law enforcement converged, Cavalcante tried to flee once again, crawling on his belly through the brush, before eventually being bitten and caught by a police dog and taken into custody.
Danelo Cavalcante, a killer who has been on the run for 13 days after escaping a Pennsylvania prison, has been caught (WPVI/UNPIXS)
Danelo Cavalcante, a killer who has been on the run for 13 days after escaping a Pennsylvania prison, has been caught (WPVI/UNPIXS)“This is a message from Pennsylvania State Police. The search for Danelo Cavalcante is over. The subject is now in custody,” a reverse 911 call sent to area residents said.
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Lieutenant Colonel Bivens told the full story of the capture at the press conference: "As you know, we have been working most recently in a permitter established in northern Chester country. Last night, shortly after midnight, a series of events began to unfold. We had a burglar alarm within the permitter. Our people investigated that but were unable to find Cavalcante."
Cavalcante was captured Wednesday after eluding hundreds of searchers for two weeks (AP)"We were already searching that area. We had a helicopter overhead utilizing heat technology and, close to 1 a.m., picked up a heat signal they were able to track. Tactical teams began to converge on that location. Unfortunately, we had a weather system that also came in, and we had an aircraft that had to depart the area."
"Law enforcement decided to secure the area, that smaller area, and keep it secure until they were able to [return]. Tactical teams merged on the area where the heat signal was. Cavalcante began to Cawl in the thick underbrush, taking his rifle with him as he went."
Law enforcement officers escort Danelo Cavalcante from a Pennsylvania State Police barracks after he was captured (AP)"The officers had a dog that was able to subdue him. He continued to resist, but he was forcibly taken into custody. He did sustain a minor bite wound. We had medical personnel that took a look at that. Cavalcante was taken into custody and will be transferred to a state correctional institute where he will be housed and begin to serve his life sentence," finished the Lt. col.
#DaneloCalvacante #Calvacante - Now in custody. #ChesterCounty. Appearance seems to have changed dramatically again. Police are questioning whether this is an accomplice Sky FoxAccording to officials during the press conference, the family of the Cavalcante's victim was the first person to be contacted. While he's evaded capture before, he was spotted by numerous individuals, allowing police to close in on the criminal.
The killer escaped from the Chester County Prison on August 31 by crab-walking up prison walls, then hopping onto the roof after weaving his way through barbed wire. He sprinted across the facility's top before jumping down and running off.
Earlier this morning, Fox News tweeted the unconfirmed footage of the arrest, which shows a man, presumably Cavalcante, being held by two officers from either side while they are surrounded by dozens of law enforcement agents all in uniform.
Authorities stated that his sister was intending to help him. “We will be discussing with the DA whether there will be additional charges. That's all I can say,” confirmed Lt Col Bivens during the press conference.
A video of police surrounding and capturing Danelo CalvacanteA Twitter user shared more photos of what looked like law enforcement setting up a perimeter, saying: "Search currently on foot in on Coventryville Rd. Focus currently on #WindruffKennels where officers have been seen looking into the stream/pond areas before moving to the property for evidence of #Cavalcante #ChesterCounty."
Photo of the press conference held in PA with members of various law enforcement teams in the background who all worked together in the capture of Cavalante (UNPIXS)Cavalcante, 34, was booked into the prison just weeks prior for the 2021 slaying of his then-girlfriend, 33-year-old Deborah Brandao. Cavalcante had a history of domestic violence against Deborah.
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It was reported that he became enraged one night when she threatened to go public about the charges he was facing in Brazil. Cavalcante threw her to the ground and stabbed her more than 30 times in front of her two children. He is also wanted in his native Brazil in a separate killing in 2017.
The moment Danelo Cavalcante was taken into custody (CBS/UNPIXS)Both times, he was able to flee the scene. He escaped Brazil and avoided charges by hiding out on a Brazilian ranch and apparently working there until he disappeared one day. The vast farmland provided the perfect cover to evade authorities. After the 2021 stabbing of his Brandao, Cavalcante also fled, making it all the way to Virginia before he was caught and thrown in prison.
Timeline of Cavalcante's two-week escape and evasion of police
Having escaped on a Thursday, he was spotted in Pcopson Township resident Ray Drummond's home the evening after stealing food after having broken in, the man told WPVI. Then, on Saturday, CNN reported that Cavalcante was captured on security footage about 1.5 miles (2.4km) from the prison from which he had made his getaway. Sometime around then or slightly after, a state trooper also reportedly saw the escaped convict in the area, but the authorities were unable to apprehend him.
A video of police surrounding and capturing Danelo CalvacanteIn a press conference on Sunday, Pennsylvania State Police Lieutenant Colonel George Bivens told reporters that Cavalcante stole an unlocked dairy delivery van sometime late Saturday night. It had been situated about three-quarters of a mile (1.2km) inside the search radius the police had set up to capture the convict, and the keys were inside the vehicle.
He then used that van to leave the radius through its northern perimeter. Baily's Dairy, the van's owner, said on its Facebook page that it had been stolen between 7 pm and 10 pm as employees still laboured away on the farm in Chester County just west of Philadelphia.
The man had slipped through a search perimeter and changed his look to evade police (Pennsylvania State Police Depart)
Pennsylvania State Police released this photo of escaped convicted murderer last week (Pennsylvania State Police Depart)Cavalcante used the van to travel over 20 miles (32km) into Phoenixville, where he was captured on Ring door camera footage. The footage shows that the murderer changed his appearance, shaving off his beard and ditching his previous outfit. He now wears a yellow or green hoodie, a black baseball cap, green prison pants and white shoes.
A security camera at Longwood Gardens, a botanical garden about 3 miles (4.8km) from the prison, captured Cavalcante on Monday at around 8:21 pm local time. He had been walking north, then headed back south over an hour later.
Schools near Philadelphia were closed and residents told to lock their doors after it became apparent the Cavalcante managed to steal a rifle (AFP via Getty Images)The following evening on Tuesday, a resident caught him in a creek bed in Pennsbury Township, just 2.5 miles (4km) southeast of the prison, but he fled into the woods before the authorities could arrive, and search teams were unable to locate him afterwards, Pennsylvania State Police Lieutenant Colonel George Bivens said at a press conference.
Search parties were back at Longwood Gardens on Thursday evening after Cavalcante was allegedly spotted in the area around that time. And another sighting reportedly occurred that same evening, but Bivens was not forthcoming with information.
Lt. Col. George Bivens of the Pennsylvania State Police briefs the media on developments in the manhunt for convicted murderer Danelo Cavalcante (Getty Images)He was then spotted twice this Saturday, September 9, in Phoenixville, about 24 miles (38.6km) northeast of the prison, caught on a Ring doorbell camera at the house of a former associate he had visited in a ploy to obtain assistance.
Then, yesterday, a homeowner fired seven times at the killer when he broke into his home and stole a 22 calibre rifle on Monday night, according to police, who also found footprints in the mud that were “identical” to the footprints of the shoes that Cavalcante wore in prison. No blood was found at the scene.
Photos just after the escape, where Cavalante 'crab-walked' up the wall and managed to make it across barbed wire fences (Chester County District Attorney/ZUMA Press Wire/REX/Shutterstock)
Official photos released by law enforcement of Cavalante trekking through the woods near Philadelphia (Pennsylvania State Police/ZUMA Press Wire/REX/Shutterstock)“We have no reason to believe he is injured as a result of that shooting,” Pennsylvania State Police Lt. Colonel George Bivens said. “I think he is just trying to survive and avoid being captured right now,” Bivens added.
On Tuesday morning, the day before Cavalcante was captured, Owen J. Roberts School District closed all seven schools and offices for the day as a large police presence remained in East Nantmeal Township. "He is now armed with a .22 calibre rifle with a scope and flashlight mounted on it," Bivens said during a press conference.
An FBI agent joins police on the perimeter of a search zone for an escaped prisoner, taken just a few days ago (Getty Images)There are around 500 police officers assisting in the manhunt of the escaped inmate, including Pennsylvania State Police, the US Marshals, the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. "He is armed. Residents in the area are asked to lock all doors and windows, secure vehicles, and remain indoors. Do not approach. Call 911 if seen," Pennsylvania State Police said.