Escaped murderer Danelo Cavalcante has been arrested after 2 weeks on the run in Pennsylvania
Updated: 11:27 AM CDT Sep 13, 2023
SO LET’S GO AND JOIN GOVERNOR SHAPIRO LIVE. GOOD MORNING. I’M PLEASED TO BE ABLE TO REPORT THAT THANKS TO THE EXTRAORDINARY WORK OF LAW ENFORCEMENT OFFICIALS FROM HERE IN THE COMMONWEALTH OF PENNSYLVANIA, OUR LOCAL LEADERS HERE IN CHESTER COUNTY AND FROM OUR FEDERAL PARTNERS ALL ACROSS THIS NATION. SHORTLY AFTER 8 A.M., OUR SUSPECT WAS CAPTURED. I WANT TO SAY FIRST AND FOREMOST, THANK GOD THERE WERE NO INJURIES TO LAW ENFORCEMENT OR TO THE PUBLIC. WE OBVIOUSLY BECAME DEEPLY CONCERNED AFTER THE SUSPECT WAS ABLE TO STEAL A WEAPON. HE WAS APPREHENDED THIS MORNING WITH NO SHOTS, WAS FIRED. I WANT TO SAY THANK YOU TO THE DEDICATE LAW ENFORCEMENT PROFESSIONALS FROM EVERY LEVEL WHO EACH AND EVERY DAY GO OUT OF THEIR HOMES, LEAVE THEIR FAMILIES, LEAVE THEIR LOVED ONES TO KEEP US SAFE, SERVE THE PUBLIC OVER THE LAST 13 DAYS HAS HAD A CHANCE TO SEE WHAT EXCELLENCE IN LAW ENFORCEMENT MEANS. WHAT TRUE, DEDICATED PROFESSIONALISM IS. ALL ABOUT. I COULDN’T BE MORE PROUD TO BE STANDING UP HERE TODAY WITH THESE PROFESSIONALS FROM EVERY LEVEL. AND WHILE THEY DID EXTRAORDINARY WORK, WE HAD A TREMENDOUS ASSIST FROM THE PUBLIC HERE IN CHESTER COUNTY. I WANT TO SAY THANK YOU TO THE PUBLIC FOR THEIR VIGILANCE. THANK YOU FOR THE CONSTRUCTIVE TIPS THAT THEY SHARED. THANK YOU FOR REMAINING ON GUARD. WE RECOGNIZE THIS HAS BEEN A CONCERNING AND TRYING TIME FOR EACH AND EVERY ONE OF YOU IN THE REGION, ANNE. AND WE WANT TO THANK YOU FOR YOUR SUPPORT OF LAW ENFORCEMENT AND FOR YOUR SUPPORT OF THIS EFFORT THAT LED TO THIS CAPTURE TODAY. I HOPE THE GOOD PEOPLE OF PENNSYLVANIA AND INDEED THE FOLKS ALL ACROSS THIS NATION GOT A CHANCE TO SEE HOW GOVERNMENT IS SUPPOSED TO WORK, HOW LAW ENFORCEMENT IS SUPPOSED TO WORK, WHERE WE ALL COME TOGETHER, WHERE WE FOCUS ON THE MISSION. AND WHILE THE WOMEN AND MEN UP HERE BEHIND ME MAY WEAR DIFFERENT UNIFORMS AND DIFFERENT BADGES, WE WERE HERE WITH COMMON PURPOSE, AND THAT WAS TO APPREHEND THE SUSPECT AND KEEP PEOPLE SAFE. LEADING THIS EFFORT HAS BEEN THE PENNSYLVANIA STATE POLICE AND I KNOW I’M GOING TO GET BOOED BY SOME OF THE FOLKS BEHIND ME FOR SAYING THIS. I BELIEVE THEY ARE THE FINEST LAW ENFORCEMENT AGENCY IN THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA. AND I COULD NOT BE MORE PROUD TO BE THE GOVERNOR OF THIS COMMONWEALTH AND TO HAVE THE CHANCE TO SERVE IN PUBLIC SERVICE ALONGSIDE THESE GREAT LEADERS IN THE PENNSYLVANIA STATE POLICE. LEADING THE EFFORT FOR US IS COLONEL CHRISTOPHER PARIS, WHO DID YEOMAN’S WORK OVERSEEING THIS OPERATION, TOGETHER WITH LIEUTENANT COLONEL BIVENS. ALL PENNSYLVANIANS, GENTLEMEN, ARE INDEBTED TO YOU FOR YOUR BRAVERY, FOR YOUR COURAGE AND FOR YOUR TREMENDOUS LEADERSHIP. AND WITH THAT, IT’S MY HONOR TO BRING UP THE COLONEL OF THE PENNSYLVANIA STATE POLICE, COLONEL CHRISTOPHER PARIS. THANK YOU, GOVERNOR. I WOULD LIKE TO MAKE A FEW BRIEF COMMENTS. I’D LIKE TO DEDICATE THOSE COMMENTS TO THE VICTIMS OF CAVALCANTE AND THEIR FAMILIES. AT THE END OF THE DAY, ALL OF THE PEOPLE BEHIND ME HERE WORK FOR JUSTICE AND FOR THE VICTIMS. A CLOSE SECOND TO THE PEOPLE OF CHESTER COUNTY. WE APPRECIATE YOUR SUPPORT AND WE APPRECIATE LATE THE DEDICATION THAT YOU AND HAVE SHOWN US AND THE GENEROSITY THAT YOU HAVE SHOWN US. WE ARE IN YOUR DEBT. THIS WAS A MAJOR OPERATION. WE KNOW THAT IT HAS AFFECTED YOUR LIVES AND WE’RE VERY MUCH APPRECIATIVE OF THAT SUPPORT. I’D LIKE TO THANK THE GOVERNOR AND HIS SUPPORT OF US, NOT ONLY WITH HIS PHYSICAL PRESENCE, BUT HIS WORK IN HARRISBURG ON A DAILY BASIS. I’D LIKE TO THANK THE BORDER PATROL, CUSTOMS, THE FBI, THE MARSHALS, THE ATF, OUR FEDERAL PARTNERS, THE CHESTER COUNTY DISTRICT ATTORNEY DEB RYAN, AND HER CHIEF COUNTY DETECTIVE, DAVE SASSER. OUR MUNICIPAL PARTNERS, TOO NUMEROUS TO MENTION HERE IN CHESTER MONTGOMERY, DELAWARE, AND BUCKS COUNTIES. WE COULD NOT HAVE DONE THIS WITHOUT WITHOUT EVERYONE. I WOULD LIKE TO THANK FROM THE BOTTOM OF OUR HEARTS THE MEMBERS OF THE MARLIN FIRE COMPANY. I KNOW THE MEDIA HAS BEEN IN AND OUT OF HERE. THE HOSPITALITY THAT THEY HAVE SHOWN US, THE LOGISTICS THAT YOU NEED TO BRING TO BEAR IN AN OPERATION LIKE THIS, WE WOULD HAVE BEEN HARD PRESSED TO DO THAT WITHOUT THEM BEING GOOD HOSTS TO US. LASTLY, BUT CERTAINLY NOT LEAST IN ANY WAY, SHAPE OR FORM TO THE WOMEN AND MEN OF THE PENNSYLVANIA STATE POLICE. THANK YOU. THANK YOU FOR YOUR HARD WORK AND YOUR DILIGENCE THIS IS MY THIRD MANHUNT WITH LIEUTENANT COLONEL GEORGE BIVENS. IT’S NOT LOST ON ME THAT IT WAS NINE YEARS TO THE DAY YESTERDAY FOR THE BLOOMING GROVE AMBUSH. AND IN ALL OF THOSE OPERATIONAL CYCLES, THERE IS NO PERSON WHO ENJOYS MORE OF MY TRUST AND CONFIDENCE. HE WAS TASKED WITH STANDING THIS OPERATION UP, MY CONFIDENCE IN HIM IS MARROW DEEP. HE IS THE CONSUMMATE PROFESSIONAL AND I WOULD NOW LIKE TO TURN IT OVER TO LIEUTENANT COLONEL BIVENS TO GIVE YOU THE OPERATIONAL RUNDOWN OF THE CAPTURE OF CAVALCANTE. LIEUTENANT COLONEL BIVENS. THANK YOU, GOVERNOR. THANK YOU, COLONEL. IT IS A TRUE PLEASURE TO STAND HERE THIS MORNING AND TALK TO ALL OF YOU ABOUT BRINGING THIS MANHUNT TO A SUCCESSFUL CONCLUSION. AND WITHOUT GETTING ANYONE ELSE HURT. MOST IMPORTANTLY, NONE OF THIS WOULD BE POSSIBLE WITHOUT THE SUPPORT OF THIS TEAM. REP PRESENTED BY MEMBERS OF VARIOUS AGENCIES STANDING WITH US UP HERE BY OTHERS STANDING THROUGHOUT THIS FIRE HALL AND BY STILL MORE WHO ARE OUT THERE IN THE FIELD. SO LET ME GIVE YOU A FEW DETAILS ABOUT HOW THIS UNFOLDED. AS YOU KNOW, WE HAVE BEEN WORKING MOST RECENTLY IN A PERIMETER ESTABLISHED IN NORTHERN CHESTER COUNTY. LAST NIGHT, SHORTLY AFTER MIDNIGHT, A SERIES OF EVENTS STARTED TO UNFOLD. FIRST, WE WE HAD A BURGLAR ALARM AT A RESIDENCE NEAR PREISER ROAD WITHIN THE PERIMETER, OUR PEOPLE INVESTIGATED THAT. DID NOT DID NOT FIND CAVALCANTI THERE OR ANYONE ELSE. BUT IT BROUGHT IT STARTED TO BRING SOME OF OUR PEOPLE INTO THAT AREA. WE HAD BEEN SEARCHING AN AREA NOT FAR FROM THERE ALREADY WITH SOME TACTICAL TEAMS. THAT NIGHT THERE WAS AN AIRCRAFT OVERHEAD UTILIZING FLARE TECHNOLOGY LEE AND CLOSE TO 1 A.M. PICKED UP A HEAT SIGNAL SO THAT THEY BEGAN TO TRACK. IT WAS WEST OF PA 100 AND NORTH OF PREISER ROAD. TACTICAL TEAMS BEGAN TO CONVERGE ON THAT LOCATION WHERE THE HEAT SOURCE WAS MOVING. UNFORTUNATELY, WE HAD A WEATHER SYSTEM THAT ALSO CAME IN AND WE HAD LIGHTNING THAT WAS FLASHING ALL AROUND AND IT CAUSED THE AIRCRAFT TO HAVE TO DEPART THE AREA. TACTICAL TEAMS MADE A DECISION TO SECURE THAT AREA THAT SMALLER AREA AS BEST THEY COULD. AND HOLD IT THROUGH THE STORM. AND UNTIL WE COULD BRING ADDITIONAL RESOURCES IN AND BRING AIRCRAFT BACK OVERHEAD TO ENSURE THAT WE DID NOT HAVE AN ISSUE WITH AN ESCAPE, THAT RESUMED EARLY THIS MORNING AND SHORTLY AFTER 8 A.M., TACTICAL TEAMS CONVERGED ON THE AREA WHERE THE HEAT SOURCE WAS. THEY WERE ABLE TO MOVE IN VERY QUIETLY. THEY HAD THE ELEMENT OF SURPRISE. CAVALCANTI. THEY DID NOTRILLIONEALIZE. HE WAS SURROUNDED UNTIL THAT HAD OCCURRED THAT DID NOT STOP HIM FROM TRYING TO ESCAPE. HE BEGAN TO CRAWL THROUGH THICK UNDERBRUSH, TAKING HIS RIFLE WITH HIM AS HE WENT. ONE OF THE CUSTOMS AND BORDER CONTROL TEAMS BORTAC HAD A DOG WITH THEM. THEY RELEASED THE DOG. SOME OF OUR PSP CERT MEMBERS WERE ALSO THERE. HAD THEM SURROUNDED THE DOG SUBDUED HIM AND TEAM MEMBERS FROM BOTH OF THOSE TEAMS IMMEDIATELY MOVED IN. HE CONTINUED TO RESIST IT, BUT WAS FORCIBLY TAKEN INTO CUSTODY. NO ONE WAS INJURED AS A RESULT OF THAT EXCUSE ME. HE DID SUSTAIN A MINOR BITE WOUND. WE HAD MEDICAL PERSONNEL AT THE SCENE AND THEY THEY TOOK A LOOK AT THAT. CAVALCANTI WAS, AS I SAID, TAKEN INTO CUSTODY. HE HE WAS TRANSPORTED TO OUR AVONDALE STATION FOR FURTHER PROCESSING AND INTERVIEW. AND HE WILL ULTIMATELY BE TRANSFERRED TO A STATE CORRECTIONAL INSTITUTE WHERE HE WILL BE HOUSED AND BEGIN TO SERVE HIS LIFE SENTENCE IN JUST A FEW MINUTES, I’LL OPEN THIS UP TO SOME QUESTIONS, BUT I BEFORE I DO THAT, I WANT TO TURN THIS OVER TO ONE OF OUR VERY CLOSE PARTNERS DISTRICT ATTORNEY DEB RYAN. I KNOW SHE WOULD LIKE TO SAY A FEW WORDS AND AGAIN, THEN WE’LL BE HAPPY TO TAKE YOUR QUESTIONS. FOLLOWING THAT. THANK YOU, LIEUTENANT COLONEL BIVENS, TODAY IS A GREAT DAY HERE IN CHESTER COUNTY. OUR NIGHTMARE IS FINALLY OVER. AND THE GOOD GUYS WON. WE WE OWE A DEBT OF GRATITUDE TO ALL OF THE FIRST RESPONDERS FOR THEIR TIRELESS AND DEDICATED EFFORTS IN BRINGING THIS FUGITIVE TO JUSTICE. THEY WORKED AROUND THE CLOCK. AND WE ARE DEEPLY GRATEFUL TO ALL OF THEM. OUR COMMUNITY CAN FINALLY REGAIN ITS NORMALCY AND BREATHE A COLLECTIVE SIGH OF RELIEF. THIS WOULD NOT HAVE HAPPENED WITHOUT THE COLLABORATION AND EFFORTS ON BEHALF OF A MULTITUDE OF AGENCIES. I NEED TO THANK THE GOVERNOR, COLONEL PARIS, LIEUTENANT COLONEL BIVENS, FOR HIS UNFAIR, CAPABLE AND DEDICATED LEADERSHIP THE US MARSHALS, THE CHESTER COUNTY DETECTIVES, THE FBI, US CUSTOMS AND BORDER PATROL, THE DEPARTMENT OF EMERGENCY SERVICES, THE SHERIFF’S DEPARTMENT, AND EVERY SINGLE PERSON WHO WENT OUT INTO THE FIELD IN THE MOST HORRENDOUS CONDITIONS. WE HAD WEATHER PROBLEMS. WE HAD TERRAIN PROBLEMS AND A AND A TON OF OBSTACLES THAT PREVENTED OUR CAPTURE FROM OCCURRING AS AS EXPEDIENTLY AS WE WANTED. WE HAVE THE BEST PEOPLE IN THE BUSINESS AND WE NEVER LOST FAITH THAT THIS CAPTURE WOULD OCCUR. WE KNEW THAT IT WAS JUST A MATTER OF TIME. THE SCOPE OF THIS MANHUNT WAS EXTREMELY IMPRESSIVE. THE BRAVE MEN AND WOMEN WHO WENT THERE WENT OUT THERE EVERY SINGLE DAY ARE OUR HEROES. AND I AM PROUD TO BE A PART OF THIS COLLECTIVE TEAM OF OF PEOPLE WHO WORKED AROUND THE CLOCK TO BRING THIS MAN TO JUSTICE DURING THIS MONUMENTAL CHALLENGE AS THEY UTILIZED EVERY PIECE OF ADVANCED TECHNOLOGY DOG CARS, DRONES, HELICOPTERS, EVERY ASSET AVAILABLE WAS PUT OUT FOR THIS CAPTURE. I CAN’T EXPRESS OUR GRATITUDE. DEEP ENOUGH TO ALL OF THEM AND TO THE COMMUNITY FOR THEIR SUPPORT. WE RECEIVED DOZENS AND DOZENS OF DONATION AS WELL WISHES AND KIND SUPPORT FROM EVERYONE IN THE COMMUNITY. AND WE THANK THIS FIREHOUSE FOR HOUSING US. WE KNOW WE DISRUPTED THEIR LIVES FOR A WHILE. ONE OF THE FIRST CALLS WE MADE UPON LEARNING ABOUT THIS CAPTURE WAS TO THE BRANDAO FAMILY, WHO, AS YOU CAN IMAGINE, HAD BEEN LIVING IN A COMPLETE NIGHTMARE. THEY ARE SO GRATEFUL TO THE MEN AND WOMEN WHO HELPED WITH THIS CAPTURE WERE THEY CAN NOW FINALLY SLEEP AGAIN. ANNE. I CAN’T THANK LAW ENFORCEMENT ENOUGH FOR THEIR EFFORTS. THANK YOU. OKAY WITH THAT, WE’LL BE HAPPY TO TAKE YOUR QUESTIONS. YES. WITH THE HELICOPTER OVERBOARD, WE SAW THE ARREST TAKING PLACE. THERE WAS SOME CRITICISM ABOUT THE PHOTO OP THAT THAT WAS TAKEN WITH THE FUGITIVE. CAN YOU EXPLAIN HOW THAT’S ACTUALLY A STANDARD PROCEDURE OR WHAT’S THE REASONING BEHIND THE PHOTO OP WITH THE FUGITIVE? YOU KNOW, I’M AWARE THAT THERE WAS A PHOTO OP THAT WAS TAKEN OUT THERE. THOSE MEN AND WOMEN WORKED AMAZINGLY HARD THROUGH SOME VERY TRYING CIRCUMSTANCES, WAS THEY’RE PROUD OF THEIR WORK. I’M NOT BOTHERED AT ALL BY THE FACT THAT THEY TOOK A PHOTOGRAPH WITH HIM IN CUSTODY. AGAIN, THEY’RE PROUD OF THEIR WORK. THEY KEPT THE COMMUNITY SAFE. I SAY THANKS TO THEM AND GOOD JOB. WAS IT APPROPRIATE? DID HE SAY ANYTHING IN THE MOMENT THAT HE WAS CAPTURED AND YOU RELEASED THE NAME OF THE K-9 OFFICER WHO BEAT HIM DURING HIS CAPTURE? WE WILL PROBABLY NOT BE RELEASING THE NAME. AND IN TERMS OF ANYTHING THAT HE SAID, AND WE NEED TO USE AN INTERPRETER. AND HE HAS BEEN TAKEN BACK TO THE STATION. AND AT THAT POINT, WE WILL ATTEMPT TO INTERVIEW HIM AT THE AVONDALE. HE DIDN’T SAY ANYTHING UPON CAPTURE, ANYTHING AT ALL. I’M NOT AWARE OF IT. IF HE DID, I DON’T HAVE THAT INFORMATION. HE MADE THE ARREST. YOUR OFFICERS WERE AUTHORIZED TO USE LETHAL FORCE IF HE DIDN’T ACTIVELY SURRENDER. WAS THE GOAL TO ALWAYS TAKE HIM IN ALIVE? THAT’S ALWAYS OUR FIRST, FIRST CHOICE AND PREFERENCE. AGAIN, THAT OPTION IS ONLY TO PREVENT THE ESCAPE OF A VERY DANGEROUS INDIVIDUAL. HAD THEY NOT BEEN ABLE TO CONTAIN HIM, THAT WOULD HAVE REMAINED AN OPTION. WHO SPECIFICALLY MADE THE ARREST OF WHICH ORGANIZATION? IT WAS A COMBINATION. IT WAS A COMBINED GROUP OF THE BORDER PATROL AND PSP. YOU HAD ONE. SHE WAS CAPTURED WHEN HE WENT INTO THE VAN. HE WAS STRIPPED AND HAD HIS TATTOOS PHOTOGRAPHED. IS THAT NORMAL PROCEDURE? YES. WHEN THE THERMAL IMAGING AN ALARM CLOCK, WAS HE THE SAME LOCATION WHEN YOU FOUND HIM? RIGHT. I’M SORRY. YOU’D ASKED FIRST. WAS HE ASLEEP WHEN YOU FOUND HIM? HE WAS PRONED OUT. I’M NOT. I’VE NOT BEEN TOLD THAT HE WAS ASLEEP. I’M TOLD THAT HE WAS PRONED OUT TRYING TO HIDE AND THEN BEGAN TO CRAWL AWAY. WE DID THE SAME LOCATION. WHEN YOU GOT THE THERMAL IMAGING AT 108, IT WAS IN THAT CLOSE PROXIMITY TO THAT? YES. WHAT WAS THE WEATHER THAT WAS HELPING HIM? NO ONE WAS ASSISTING HIM AT THAT POINT, SIR. WHAT WAS THE AGENCY THAT WAS FLYING THE HELICOPTER THAT FIRST SPOTTED THE KEY? THAT WAS THE DEA AND THAT WAS A FIXED WING AIRCRAFT. WERE YOU WORRIED AS AS LAW ENFORCEMENT THAT YOU HAD TO DOWN THE PLANE AND THERE COULD BE ANOTHER CHANCE FOR ESCAPE? I MEAN, THAT’S OBVIOUSLY THE PLANE HAD TO LAND, BUT WHAT KIND OF RISK DID THAT DID YOU HAVE TO CALCULATE WITH THAT? WELL, YOU KNOW, AS I’VE TOLD YOU THROUGHOUT THIS INVESTIGATION, THERE ARE ALWAYS THINGS WE HAVE TO CONTEND WITH. EVERYTHING ISN’T SCRIPTED AND DOESN’T GO PERFECTLY. AND SO IT’S JUST ANOTHER CHALLENGE. WORRIED, I DON’T THINK IS THE WORD THAT I WOULD USE. WE SIMPLY HAD TO ADAPT. AND SO WE SECURED THAT INNER PERIMETER WHILE ALWAYS KEEPING OUR OUTER PERIMETER SECURE SO THAT IF HE DID MANAGE TO GET OUT OF THAT INNER, WE WOULD BOX HIM IN YET AGAIN. HOW TOUGH, HOW TOUGH AN ADVERSARY WAS HE? YOU’VE LED SOME VERY HIGH PROFILE AND DIFFICULT MANHUNTS. HOW TOUGH AN ADVERSARY WAS HE COMPARED TO SOME OF THE OTHERS? YOU KNOW, I DON’T KNOW THAT HE WAS PARTICULARLY SKILLED. HE WAS DESPERATE. AND I’VE SAID THAT ALL ALONG. YOU HAVE AN INDIVIDUAL WHOSE CHOICE IS GO BACK TO PRISON AND SPEND THE REST OF YOUR LIFE IN A PLACE YOU DON’T WANT TO BE OR CONTINUE TO TRY AND EVADE CAPTURE. HE CHOSE THE EVADE CAPTURE. HE WAS IN GOOD SHAPE. OBVIOUSLY ABLE TO CLIMB, AS YOU SAW, TO GET OUT OF PRISON. BUT BUT ULTIMATELY, HE AS I SAID ALL ALONG, WE HAD AN AMAZING TEAM ASSEMBLED HERE, CAME ABILITIES THAT ARE JUST VERY FORMIDABLE AND AND I WAS CONFIDENT ALL ALONG THAT HE WOULD EVENTUALLY BE CAPTURED AND ULTIMATELY THIS TEAM AND I CREDIT ALL OF THEM FOR BRINGING TOGETHER THEIR COLLECTIVE EXPERIENCE, THE RESOURCES AND BEING ABLE TO APPLY THAT. AND CAPTURE HIM. IT’S NEVER EASY TO FIND SOMEONE WHO DOESN’T WANT TO BE FOUND IN A VERY LARGE AREA, BUT THERE WAS PREVIOUSLY YOU SAID YOU WERE RESERVING COMMENT ON IF ANYBODY WAS HELPING HIM THROUGHOUT THE SEARCH. I KNOW YOU SAID NO ONE HELPED HIM THIS MORNING. CAN YOU SAY NOW THAT HE’S IN CUSTODY, WHETHER HE RECEIVED HELP THESE LAST 13 DAYS? THERE WERE PEOPLE WHO WERE INTENT AND INTENDED TO ASSIST HIM. WE HAD BEEN SUCCESSFUL TO THE BEST OF MY KNOWLEDGE. WE HAD BEEN SUCCESSFUL IN PREVENTING THAT ASSISTANCE FROM REACHING HIM. PREDECESSOR? YES, THERE HAD BEEN SOME FRUSTRATION, SOME CRITICISM FROM THE PUBLIC AS THIS WAS STRETCHING ON. NOW THAT IT’S OVER, DO YOU CONSIDER THIS ANYTHING OTHER THAN A SUCCESS? NO, IT WAS ABSOLUTELY A SUCCESS. AND I GOT TO TELL YOU, I THINK BY AND LARGE, THE PUBLIC STAYED AMAZINGLY LEE SUPPORTIVE. I HAD SOME THIRD GRADE STUDENTS STOP BY YESTERDAY AND DROP OFF LETTERS AND NOTES OF SUPPORT FOR ALL OF THESE RESPONDERS. WE PUT THEM OUT FOR FOR THEM TO SEE AT BRIEFING TIME AND THINGS. THAT’S THE KIND OF SUPPORT WE SAW FROM THIS COMMUNITY. THERE WILL ALWAYS BE CRITICISM. THERE WILL ALWAYS BE PEOPLE WHO THINK THEY CAN DO THIS JOB BETTER AND THEY’RE ENTITLED TO THAT OPINION. WHAT I WOULD TELL YOU IS, AGAIN, I PUT MY FAITH IN THIS GROUP OF EXPERTS, THIS GROUP OF SEASONED LAW ENFORCEMENT PROFESSIONALS THAT DEDICATED MEN AND WOMEN, NOT ONLY OF THE PENNSYLVANIA STATE POLICE, BUT OF ALL OF THE OTHER PARTNER AGENCIES WHO WENT OUT THERE EVERY DAY. I’LL PUT MY MONEY ON THEM ANY DAY OF THE WEEK. AND I BELIEVE THE COMMUNITY SUPPORTED THEM AND CONTINUES TO OTHERS WITH ESCAPE AND WHEN WILL THOSE CHARGES BE FILED? WE’LL BE DISCUSSING WITH THE DISTRICT ATTORNEY WHAT IF ANY, CHARGES WILL BE FILED. BUT FOR RIGHT NOW, AGAIN, THERE IS COMMITMENT AND HE IS GOING TO BEGIN SERVING HIS LIFE SENTENCE AT A STATE CORRECTIONAL INSTITUTION. HE WAS SHE IS IN THE DEPORTATION PROCEEDINGS THAT WILL PROCEED AS HAD BEEN INITIATED IN THE RIFLE. WHAT CAN TAKE OUT THE EAGLES? I’M SORRY? YOU KNOW WHERE CAVALCANTI GOT THE EAGLES HOODIE FROM? I DO NOT. OTHER THAN THE THE RIFLE. WHAT DID HE HAVE WITH HIM? DID HE HAVE ANYTHING ELSE? JUST THE CLOTHING AND THINGS THAT HE WAS WEARING. DID HE ATTEMPT TO SHOOT? DID HE ATTEMPT TO TRY TO ENGAGE? HE DID NOT HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY TO. NO, SIR. OFFICERS WERE ON THE GROUND TO CONVERGE. I DON’T HAVE AN EXACT NUMBER, BUT LOOKING AT THE TEAMS WE WERE SENDING IN THERE WERE IN THE IMMEDIATE VICINITY WAS PROBABLY 20 TO 25. AND CAN YOU TELL US MORE ABOUT WHAT THOSE 20 TO 25 LOOKED LIKE? DO THEY HAVE SPECIFIC ARMOR? WHAT? YES, THEY WERE TACTICAL. THEY WERE A TACTICAL TEAM. YOU WOULD EXPECT CAMOUFLAGE FOR ARMOR OR LONG RIFLES, THAT KIND OF THING, WHICH AGENCY? CUSTOMS AND BORDER PATROL WAS THERE? BORTAC TEAM OUT OF EL PASO AND THEN PENNSYLVANIA STATE POLICE CERT. IT’S OUR SPECIAL EMERGENCY RESPONSE TEAM. COLONEL WAS ON THE GROUND ONCE ON THE GROUND FROM THE. THEY’VE NOW PINPOINTED HIM RIGHT? YES, ON THE GROUND. AND THERE WIDELY MOVING INTO PLACE LENGTH OF TIME FROM THAT POINT, PROBABLY FIVE MINUTES. IT PLAYED OUT FAIRLY QUICKLY. ONCE THEY HAD IDENTIFIED HIM AND MOVED IN. HE DID DETECTED THEM AT THAT POINT ONCE THEY WERE ALREADY IN POSITION. AND AGAIN, HE STARTED TO CRAWL AWAY AND IT PLAYED OUT VERY QUICKLY. THEN, SIR, WHAT IS YOUR GREATEST LESSON FROM THIS 14 DAY MANHUNT? YOU KNOW, I DON’T KNOW THAT THERE’S ANY SINGLE LESSON. I WILL TELL YOU THAT I LEARNED SOMETHING FROM ALL OF THESE. AND AS I TOLD YOU BEFORE, I BRING THAT EXPERIENCE TO THE NEXT ONE. AND SO I JUST GO BACK TO IT’S ALL ABOUT THE TEAM. IT’S ABOUT ASSEMBLING THE RIGHT GROUP OF PEOPLE, THE RIGHT TECHNOLOGY, LEE THE PEOPLE WITH CAN DO ATTITUDES WHO WILL STICK WITH YOU THROUGH THE INVESTIGATION. AND THAT’S WHAT WE DID. AND IT’S WORKED WELL FOR US IN THE PAST, AND I’M SURE WE’LL WORK WELL FOR US IN THE FUTURE. YOU SAID THERE WERE PEOPLE INTENDING TO HELP HIM. I JUST WANT TO SEE IF WE CAN GET A LITTLE MORE DETAIL FROM YOU ON THAT. YOU DID MENTION YOU DID CONFIRM THE SISTER WAS INTENDING TO HELP HIM. WHO ELSE MIGHT HAVE BEEN INTENDING TO HELP HIM? AND CAN YOU GIVE US ANY DETAIL ON HOW AND THE REASON I’M NOT GOING TO TALK ABOUT THAT AGAIN, AS I MENTIONED, WE WILL BE DISCUSSING WITH THE DISTRICT ATTORNEY WHETHER THERE WILL BE ANY ADDITIONAL CHARGES. I DON’T EXPECT THAT THERE WILL BE. AND THAT ASPECT. BUT WE WANT TO HAVE THAT DISCUSSION BEFORE WE BEFORE WE DISCLOSE ANYTHING ELSE, HELP THE POLICE TO CATCH HIM. DID HE STOP BECAUSE OF THE RAIN, ESPECIALLY? NO, I THINK HE STOPPED BECAUSE HIS HIS NORMAL PATTERN WAS TO TRAVEL IN THE LATE EVENING, EARLY OR OVERNIGHT HOURS, WHETHER HE GOT TIRED OR WHATEVER. NORMALLY IT’D BE TYPICALLY DIDN’T TRAVEL THEN LATER AT NIGHT AND HE TYPICALLY DID NOT TRAVEL DURING THE DAY UNLESS WE PUSHED HIM. AND WE DID HAVE SEVERAL INSTANCES OF THAT WHERE HE WAS PUSHED AND HAD TO MOVE. BUT, YOU KNOW, HE DOESN’T HAVE NIGHT VISION OR ANYTHING LIKE THAT. THE TYPE OF TECHNOLOGY THAT MANY OF OUR OPERATORS HAD OUT THERE. AND SO TRAVERSING RUGGED TERRAIN IS DIFFICULT TO DO. I BELIEVE IT WAS JUST EASIER FOR HIM TO DO IN THE LATE EVENING HOURS AND LATE AFTERNOON. THAT PICTURE, THE DOG FIGHT, I BELIEVE THAT’S THAT’S WHAT CAUSED IT. IT WAS A SCALP WOUND. AND THEY BELIEVE PRETTY SIGNIFICANTLY, I’M TOLD THERE WAS NOT ANY SIGNIFICANT INJURY. DID HE HAVE A PHONE? I JUST ABLE TO GET A CAR AND A GUN AND A GUN DURING THIS TWO WEEK PERIOD. IS THAT SURPRISING? YOU KNOW, ARE YOU SORT OF ASTONISHED AT SOME OF THE PUBLIC WERE BY THAT? NO. I MEAN, ALL ALONG, YOU KNOW, WE ASK PEOPLE TO SECURE AS BEST THEY COULD. UNFORTUNATELY, HE WAS STILL ABLE TO ACQUIRE SOME OF THOSE THINGS. SO, AGAIN, THOSE ARE JUST SOME OF THE CHALLENGES WE DEAL WITH IN AN INVESTIGATION LIKE THIS. ARE PEOPLE RISE TO THOSE CHALLENGES AND ULTIMATELY LEE AGAIN, HE WAS SUCCESSFULLY CAPTURED. I KNOW THAT YOU LED THE EFFORT ALSO IN JULY EARLIER THIS YEAR WHEN THAT PERSON ESCAPED USING BEDSHEETS. IT WAS A CHOCOLATE LAB THAT ULTIMATELY LED TO HIS ARREST. AND NOW HERE WE ARE AGAIN. YOU’RE TALKING ABOUT A CANINE MOVING IN AND BASICALLY DISABLING CAVALCANTI. CAN YOU JUST KIND OF TALK ABOUT THE HAVING CANINES AND THEIR USE AND HOW MUCH OF AN ASSET THEY ARE WHEN YOU’RE TRYING TO NAVIGATE THROUGH TOUGH TERRAIN AND TRACK DOWN DANGEROUS? SURE. I MEAN, IN THE CASE OF TRUCKER TUCKER, HE WAS KIND OF A CIVILIAN, I WOULD SAY. WE DEPUTIZED. YEAH. AND BROUGHT HIM IN. HE’S NOW AN HONORARY MEMBER OF PSP. BUT LAB BUT HE WAS NOT INVOLVED IN THIS. THAT WAS IN WARREN THAT THIS GENTLEMAN IS REFERRING TO JUST DOG IN THIS CASE, YOU KNOW, I BELIEVE IT WAS A SHEPHERD OR A BELGIAN MALINOIS. FOR THOSE OF US WHO AREN’T FAMILIAR JUST ONE MINUTE, IF I CAN COME BACK TO THIS GENTLEMAN, I APOLOGIZE. IN ANY EVENT, CANINES PLAY A VERY IMPORTANT ROLE, NOT ONLY FOR TRACKING, BUT ALSO FOR JUST LIKE IN A CIRCUMSTANCE LIKE THIS, SAFELY CAPTURE SOMEONE FAR BETTER THAT WE’RE ABLE TO RELEASE A PATROL DOG LIKE THIS AND HAVE THEM SUBDUE THE INDIVIDUAL WILL THEN HAVE TO USE LETHAL FORCE. AND SO AGAIN, OUR PREFERENCE IS ALWAYS TO USE OTHER MEANS. CANINES PLAY A VERY IMPORTANT ROLE. CAN YOU GIVE US FAMILIAR WITH THE AREA? CAN YOU TELL US A LITTLE BIT MORE ABOUT WHERE HE WAS? IT APPEARS HE’S IN FRONT OF A COMMERCIAL BUILDING. WAS HE HIDING WITHIN THAT BUILDING OR WAS HE WAS IN THE WOODED AREA, AGAIN, WEST OF WEST OF PA, 100 THERE PA 100. ARE YOU AWARE OF HOW HE WAS GETTING NOURISHMENT AND LIQUIDS? NO, THAT WILL ALL BE PART OF THE INTERVIEW. WE’LL ATTEMPT TO DO WHETHER HE’LL TALK TO US OR NOT. THAT’S OBVIOUSLY ENTIRELY UP TO HIM. BUT BUT THAT WILL BE SOMETHING THAT THAT WE’LL BE ASKING. SIR, AT THIS JUNCTURE, CAN YOU RELEASE WHERE HE WORKED IN CHESTER COUNTY PRIOR TO HIS 2021 ARREST FOR HOMICIDE? UNFORTUNATE. I DON’T HAVE THAT. THE LIST OF THOSE LOCATIONS, I KNOW THAT HE DID A VARIETY OF JOBS INSTALLING FLOORING, BUT BUT I DON’T HAVE THE SPECIFIC CAN YOU GIVE US CAN YOU GIVE US MORE LOCATIONS? HOW LONG WILL HE BE AT THE AVONDALE BARRACKS? LONG ENOUGH FOR US TO PROCESS HIM. AND HOWEVER LONG A AN INTERVIEW LASTS WITH HIM, I DON’T EXPECT IT TO BE FOR A VERY EXTENDED PERIOD OF TIME. AND AGAIN, AT THAT POINT, HE’LL BE TRANSPORTED TO AN FCI ONE. IS THERE ANY CONCERN THAT HE WOULD TEAM UP WITH ANOTHER SMALL MAN TO STEP INSIDE OF A TRENCH COAT, LITTLE RASCAL STYLE? NO. CAN YOU GIVE US MORE DETAIL ON ON THE ACTUAL ENCOUNTER WITH THE DOG? DID THE DOG TACKLE HIM, BITE HIM? I MEAN, THE YOU KNOW, AGAIN, I DIDN’T SEE THE THE THE SPECIFIC CAPTURE. WHAT I WOULD TELL YOU IS THE WAY THOSE DOGS ARE TRAINED IS TO SIMPLY GO TO THE PERSON. THEY WILL GRAB WHATEVER IS CLOSE FOR THEM TO GRAB AND THEN THEY ARE TRAINED TO DETAIN THAT INDIVIDUAL. THEY DON’T THEY DON’T JUST KEEP BITING AND RELEASING OR TRYING TO CAUSE ADDITIONAL INJURY. THEY SIMPLY GRAB ONTO YOU AND TRY AND HOLD THAT PERSON IN PLACE UNTIL OFFICERS CAN GET THERE. SO THAT’S WHY THEY’RE NEVER RELEASED. YOU KNOW, AT SOME GREAT DISTANCE OR UNSUPERVISED. THERE ARE OFFICERS CLOSE BY WHO CAN THEN MOVE IN. THE HANDLER CAN IMMEDIATELY PULL THE DOG BACK OFF OF THE GIVE HIM A COMMAND, PULL THE DOG BACK OFF, AND THEN OFFICERS TAKE DID HE FIGHT THE DOG? DID HE RESIST THE DOG? HE DID. I DON’T HAVE THE NAME QUESTIONS. WAS THERE ANY BODY CAM FOOTAGE? YOU HAVE BEEN LISTENING TO THIS STATE POLICE NEWS CONFERENCE ON THE CAPTURE OF DANILO CAVALCANTE. AFTER 14 DAYS, STATE POLICE LIEUTENANT COLONEL GEORGE BIVENS DETAILING HOW POLICE WERE ABLE TO TAKE HIM INTO CUSTODY JUST AFTER EIGHT THIS MORNING. POLICE SAY LAST NIGHT THEY ACTUALLY HAD A FIXED WING AIRCRAFT SET UP IN THE SKY USING HEAT SENSORS TO TRY TO SPOT HIM. BUT THEN LIGHTNING CAME IN AND TALK ABOUT THE CHALLENGES THAT THEY HAD TO DEAL WITH. SO THEY WERE ABLE TO GET BACK AT THAT. JUST THIS MORNING, THEY PICKED UP THE HEAT SENSOR. THEY WERE ABLE TO SURROUND HIM AND THEY SAID IT WAS BASICALLY A SURPRISE TO HIM. HE DIDN’T KNOW HE WAS SURROUNDED. THIS WAS JUST BY PR 100 NEAR CHRYSLER ROAD. HE WAS LAYING DOWN AT THE TIME. THEY’RE NOT SURE IF HE WAS ASLEEP OR JUST LAYING DOWN. BUT EVEN AFTER HE WAS SURPRISED AND SPOTTED, POLICE SAY THAT HE TRIED TO MOVE AWAY HOLDING THE RIFLE STILL. AND THAT’S WHEN YOU JUST HEARD A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THE K-9 OFFICER GOING IN THERE, SUBDUING HIM, BITING HIM, HOLDING HIM UNTIL THE OTHER OFFICERS, ABOUT 20 TO 25 BORDER PATROL AND STATE POLICE TROOPERS WERE THERE FORMING THAT PERIMETER RIGHT AROUND HIM AND WERE ABLE TO TAKE HIM INTO CUSTODY WITHOUT ANY OTHER HARM TO ANYONE ELSE. AND THEY WILL NEED AN INTERPRETER. NOW. THEY’RE GOING TO TRY TO TALK TO HIM AND THEY SAY HE WILL CONTINUE TO SERVE. NOW, THE LIFE SENTENCE THAT HE HAD ALREADY BEEN SENTENCED TO AND WAS IN PRISON FOR. HE’S CURRENTLY AT THE AVONDALE ESTATE POLICE BARRACKS, BUT WILL BE AT SOME POINT TODAY TAKEN TO A STAT
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Escaped murderer Danelo Cavalcante has been arrested after 2 weeks on the run in Pennsylvania
Updated: 11:27 AM CDT Sep 13, 2023
A murderer who brazenly escaped from a Pennsylvania jail was captured Wednesday in the woods by a team of tactical officers, bringing an end to an intense search that terrified residents as the fugitive broke into homes for food, changed his appearance, and stole a van and rifle during two weeks on the run.Law enforcement’s big break came overnight as a plane fitted with a thermal imaging camera picked up Danelo Souza Cavalcante’s heat signal, allowing tactical teams on the ground to secure the area, surround him and move in with search dogs.“They were able to move in very quietly. They had the element of surprise,” Pennsylvania State Police Lt. Col. George Bivens said at a news conference. “Cavalcante did not realize he was surrounded until that had occurred.”Cavalcante — still armed with the rifle he stole from a homeowner’s garage — tried to escape by crawling through thick underbrush, but a U.S. Customs and Border Protection officer released a search dog that subdued him, said Bivens, adding that Cavalcante continued to resist as he was taken into custody after 8 a.m.Cavalcante, 34, was bitten on the scalp by a police dog and suffered a minor wound, Bivens said. Footage from a news helicopter showed an officer wiping Cavalcante’s bloody head and face with a towel.Video below: Aerial footage shows arrest of escaped killer in PennsylvaniaNo shots were fired.“Our nightmare is finally over, and the good guys won,” said Chester County District Attorney Deb Ryan.State police had announced Cavalcante’s capture on social media earlier Wednesday, as the search entered its 14th day. The attorney general’s office said Cavalcante will be arraigned on a felony escape charge.Cavalcante, handcuffed and wrapped in what appeared to be a thermal blanket, was driven to the Pennsylvania State Police barracks at Avondale. Bivens said investigators would try to interview him about his time on the run before taking him to a state prison.“He was desperate, and it was just a matter of time,” said Gov. Josh Shapiro.The end of the search for Cavalcante unfolded just beyond Philadelphia’s heavily populated suburbs, in an area of woods, rolling farmland and a county park. Police brought in hundreds of heavily armed law enforcement personnel with dogs, armored carriers, horses, and helicopters that circled over the rural stretch of southeastern Pennsylvania.The search forced schools to close right at the start of the academic year, led to warnings for homeowners to lock their doors, and blocked roads over the busy Labor Day weekend. Overnight into Wednesday, heavily armed law enforcement officers searched for the fugitive through downpours and thunder.A Drug Enforcement Administration plane picked up Cavalcante’s heat signature around 1 a.m. and began tracking his movements, but the storms forced the aircraft to leave the area for a time, delaying his capture by several hours, Bivens said.Video below: Lt. Colonel George Bivens presser on capture of escaped inmateCavalcante escaped from the Chester County jail in southeastern Pennsylvania on Aug. 31 by crab-walking up between two walls that were topped with razor wire, then jumping from the roof and dashing away. He had been awaiting transfer to state prison after being sentenced days earlier for fatally stabbing his girlfriend, and is wanted in connection with another killing in Brazil.Authorities said over the weekend that Cavalcante had slipped out of the initial search area, shaved and changed his clothing, stole a vehicle to travel miles to seek aid from former co-workers in the northern part of the county, and then abandoned the vehicle, at least in part because it was low on fuel.Authorities have declined to say how they think Cavalcante slipped out of the first search area, and officials have pushed back against questions about whether they blew a chance to catch him.Then, late Monday, a motorist alerted police to a man matching Cavalcante’s description crouching in the darkness along a line of trees near a road in northern Chester County. Police found footprints and tracked them to the prison shoes identical to those Cavalcante had been wearing. A pair of work boots was reported stolen from a porch nearby.State police said they believe he was looking for a place to hide when he saw an open garage. There, he stole a .22-caliber rifle and ammunition, and fled when the homeowner who was in the garage drew a pistol and shot at him several times, state police said.That led hundreds of law enforcement personnel to search an area of about 8 to 10 square miles near South Coventry Township, roughly 30 miles northwest (50 kilometers) of Philadelphia.People tried to help Cavalcante during his time on the run, Bivens said Wednesday, but authorities thwarted those attempts. He did not elaborate or say anyone had been charged criminally.Cavalcante’s escape was big news in Brazil, where prosecutors in Tocantins state say he is accused of “double qualified homicide” in the 2017 slaying of Válter Júnior Moreira dos Reis in the municipality of Figueiropolis, which authorities say was over a debt the victim owed him in connection with repair of a vehicle.Pennsylvania authorities even broadcast a recording of Cavalcante’s mother speaking in Portuguese imploring him to surrender peacefully.Cavalcante received a life sentence in Pennsylvania in August for killing his ex-girlfriend, Deborah Brandao, in front of her children in 2021. Prosecutors say he murdered her to stop her from telling police he was wanted in the Brazil killing. He had been arrested in Virginia after Brandao’s killing, and authorities say they believe he was trying to return to Brazil.The prison tower guard on duty when Cavalcante escaped was fired. The escape went undetected for more than an hour until guards took a headcount.___Levy reported from Harrisburg, Pa., and Rubinkam from northeastern Pennsylvania.
A murderer who brazenly escaped from a Pennsylvania jail was captured Wednesday in the woods by a team of tactical officers, bringing an end to an intense search that terrified residents as the fugitive broke into homes for food, changed his appearance, and stole a van and rifle during two weeks on the run.
Law enforcement’s big break came overnight as a plane fitted with a thermal imaging camera picked up Danelo Souza Cavalcante’s heat signal, allowing tactical teams on the ground to secure the area, surround him and move in with search dogs.
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“They were able to move in very quietly. They had the element of surprise,” Pennsylvania State Police Lt. Col. George Bivens said at a news conference. “Cavalcante did not realize he was surrounded until that had occurred.”
Cavalcante — still armed with the rifle he stole from a homeowner’s garage — tried to escape by crawling through thick underbrush, but a U.S. Customs and Border Protection officer released a search dog that subdued him, said Bivens, adding that Cavalcante continued to resist as he was taken into custody after 8 a.m.
Cavalcante, 34, was bitten on the scalp by a police dog and suffered a minor wound, Bivens said. Footage from a news helicopter showed an officer wiping Cavalcante’s bloody head and face with a towel.
Video below: Aerial footage shows arrest of escaped killer in Pennsylvania
No shots were fired.
“Our nightmare is finally over, and the good guys won,” said Chester County District Attorney Deb Ryan.
State police had announced Cavalcante’s capture on social media earlier Wednesday, as the search entered its 14th day. The attorney general’s office said Cavalcante will be arraigned on a felony escape charge.
Cavalcante, handcuffed and wrapped in what appeared to be a thermal blanket, was driven to the Pennsylvania State Police barracks at Avondale. Bivens said investigators would try to interview him about his time on the run before taking him to a state prison.
“He was desperate, and it was just a matter of time,” said Gov. Josh Shapiro.
The end of the search for Cavalcante unfolded just beyond Philadelphia’s heavily populated suburbs, in an area of woods, rolling farmland and a county park. Police brought in hundreds of heavily armed law enforcement personnel with dogs, armored carriers, horses, and helicopters that circled over the rural stretch of southeastern Pennsylvania.
The search forced schools to close right at the start of the academic year, led to warnings for homeowners to lock their doors, and blocked roads over the busy Labor Day weekend. Overnight into Wednesday, heavily armed law enforcement officers searched for the fugitive through downpours and thunder.
A Drug Enforcement Administration plane picked up Cavalcante’s heat signature around 1 a.m. and began tracking his movements, but the storms forced the aircraft to leave the area for a time, delaying his capture by several hours, Bivens said.
Video below: Lt. Colonel George Bivens presser on capture of escaped inmate
Cavalcante escaped from the Chester County jail in southeastern Pennsylvania on Aug. 31 by crab-walking up between two walls that were topped with razor wire, then jumping from the roof and dashing away. He had been awaiting transfer to state prison after being sentenced days earlier for fatally stabbing his girlfriend, and is wanted in connection with another killing in Brazil.
Authorities said over the weekend that Cavalcante had slipped out of the initial search area, shaved and changed his clothing, stole a vehicle to travel miles to seek aid from former co-workers in the northern part of the county, and then abandoned the vehicle, at least in part because it was low on fuel.
Authorities have declined to say how they think Cavalcante slipped out of the first search area, and officials have pushed back against questions about whether they blew a chance to catch him.
Then, late Monday, a motorist alerted police to a man matching Cavalcante’s description crouching in the darkness along a line of trees near a road in northern Chester County. Police found footprints and tracked them to the prison shoes identical to those Cavalcante had been wearing. A pair of work boots was reported stolen from a porch nearby.
State police said they believe he was looking for a place to hide when he saw an open garage. There, he stole a .22-caliber rifle and ammunition, and fled when the homeowner who was in the garage drew a pistol and shot at him several times, state police said.
That led hundreds of law enforcement personnel to search an area of about 8 to 10 square miles near South Coventry Township, roughly 30 miles northwest (50 kilometers) of Philadelphia.
People tried to help Cavalcante during his time on the run, Bivens said Wednesday, but authorities thwarted those attempts. He did not elaborate or say anyone had been charged criminally.
Cavalcante’s escape was big news in Brazil, where prosecutors in Tocantins state say he is accused of “double qualified homicide” in the 2017 slaying of Válter Júnior Moreira dos Reis in the municipality of Figueiropolis, which authorities say was over a debt the victim owed him in connection with repair of a vehicle.
Pennsylvania authorities even broadcast a recording of Cavalcante’s mother speaking in Portuguese imploring him to surrender peacefully.
Cavalcante received a life sentence in Pennsylvania in August for killing his ex-girlfriend, Deborah Brandao, in front of her children in 2021. Prosecutors say he murdered her to stop her from telling police he was wanted in the Brazil killing. He had been arrested in Virginia after Brandao’s killing, and authorities say they believe he was trying to return to Brazil.
The prison tower guard on duty when Cavalcante escaped was fired. The escape went undetected for more than an hour until guards took a headcount.
___
Levy reported from Harrisburg, Pa., and Rubinkam from northeastern Pennsylvania.