A convicted killer was able to escape an exercise yard at Chester County Prison last week by climbing up a wall and over razor wire, authorities said Wednesday at a news conference.A security video of the escape shows Danelo Cavalcante, 34, standing in a passageway of the prison last Thursday morning. He braces his hands against one wall and his feet against the other, then walks his way up and out of the camera’s view. You can see the video in the player above. Howard Holland, the acting warden of the prison, said during a news conference Wednesday that Cavalcante escaped in the same way as another inmate in May, and that the prison added the razor wire after the previous escape. Holland said the inmate who got out before was returned within minutes after a tower guard quickly sounded the alarm.”In the escape of Cavalcante, the tower officer did not observe nor report the escape. The escape was discovered as part of the inmate counts that occur when inmates come in from the exercise yard,” Holland said.Holland declined to say why the guard didn’t notice Cavalcante hopping from the roof and heading away from the prison.That guard has since been put on administrative leave. Below: Full Wednesday news conference Escape timelineHolland provided the following timeline of the escape on Aug. 31:8:33 a.m.: Cavalcante’s block enters the exercise yard.8:51 a.m.: Cavalcante escapes by crab walking up a wall, pushing through razor wire, running across the roof, scaling another fence and pushing his way through more razor wire.9:35 a.m.: Cavalcante’s block returns to the unit from the yard.9:45 a.m.: Officers in Cavalcante’s block notify central control of the missing inmate. A special count is conducted.9:48 a.m.: Officers inform central control Cavalcante isn’t there.9:50 a.m. The prison is locked down. A special count is conducted.10:01 a.m. The public escape siren has sounded. 911 is notified.Another sightingPennsylvania State Police also announced another sighting of Cavalcante.He was seen by a resident in Pennsbury Township on Tuesday night. Law enforcement searched the area for hours but came up empty.Because of this latest sighting, police slightly expanded the search perimeter.”We continue to use hundreds of state, local and federal law enforcement officers, K-9s, aviation assets and various types of technology in an effort to keep the community safe and to bring this to as swift a conclusion as possible,” Lt. Col. George Bivens said.Authorities have urged residents to keep their homes and vehicles locked, to check the properties of vacationing neighbors and to look out for missing cars, bicycles or any other mode of transportation Cavalcante might use.Bivens said he’s “quite confident” that police are wearing Cavalcante down.”Regardless of the location and background that a person comes from, these are hot, humid temperatures. He’s not living in shelter, has no regular means of obtaining food other than if he’s able to break in someplace or find something, scavenge something. So, it’s a difficult existence out there for somebody that’s trying to do this. That will definitely take its toll,” he said.Two suburban Philadelphia school districts remained shuttered and Longwood Gardens, where Cavalcante was spotted on trail surveillance video on Monday night, was closed as authorities kept up their search.Longwood Gardens has since announced that it would reopen Thursday, as police activity has shifted and the property is no longer part of the search radius.Life sentenceCavalcante escaped while awaiting transfer to state prison.He received a life sentence last month for killing his ex-girlfriend, Deborah Brandao, in front of her children in 2021. Prosecutors said he killed her to stop her from telling police that he’s wanted in a 2017 killing in his native Brazil.He had been captured in Virginia after Brandao’s killing. Authorities believe he was trying to return to Brazil.Reward increases to $20,000The reward for information leading to Cavalcante’s apprehension has increased.Crime Stoppers is now offering up to $10,000.That’s in addition to the $10,000 already being offered by Chester County Commissioners and the U.S. Marshals.TIP LINE: 717-562-2987ONLINE TIPS: You can submit them at usmarshals.gov/tips.Below: Video of previous sighting
A convicted killer was able to escape an exercise yard at Chester County Prison last week by climbing up a wall and over razor wire, authorities said Wednesday at a news conference.
A security video of the escape shows Danelo Cavalcante, 34, standing in a passageway of the prison last Thursday morning. He braces his hands against one wall and his feet against the other, then walks his way up and out of the camera’s view. You can see the video in the player above.
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Howard Holland, the acting warden of the prison, said during a news conference Wednesday that Cavalcante escaped in the same way as another inmate in May, and that the prison added the razor wire after the previous escape. Holland said the inmate who got out before was returned within minutes after a tower guard quickly sounded the alarm.
“In the escape of Cavalcante, the tower officer did not observe nor report the escape. The escape was discovered as part of the inmate counts that occur when inmates come in from the exercise yard,” Holland said.
Holland declined to say why the guard didn’t notice Cavalcante hopping from the roof and heading away from the prison.
That guard has since been put on administrative leave.
Below: Full Wednesday news conference
Escape timeline
Holland provided the following timeline of the escape on Aug. 31:
- 8:33 a.m.: Cavalcante’s block enters the exercise yard.
- 8:51 a.m.: Cavalcante escapes by crab walking up a wall, pushing through razor wire, running across the roof, scaling another fence and pushing his way through more razor wire.
- 9:35 a.m.: Cavalcante’s block returns to the unit from the yard.
- 9:45 a.m.: Officers in Cavalcante’s block notify central control of the missing inmate. A special count is conducted.
- 9:48 a.m.: Officers inform central control Cavalcante isn’t there.
- 9:50 a.m. The prison is locked down. A special count is conducted.
- 10:01 a.m. The public escape siren has sounded. 911 is notified.
Another sighting
Pennsylvania State Police also announced another sighting of Cavalcante.
He was seen by a resident in Pennsbury Township on Tuesday night. Law enforcement searched the area for hours but came up empty.
Because of this latest sighting, police slightly expanded the search perimeter.
“We continue to use hundreds of state, local and federal law enforcement officers, K-9s, aviation assets and various types of technology in an effort to keep the community safe and to bring this to as swift a conclusion as possible,” Lt. Col. George Bivens said.
Authorities have urged residents to keep their homes and vehicles locked, to check the properties of vacationing neighbors and to look out for missing cars, bicycles or any other mode of transportation Cavalcante might use.
Bivens said he’s “quite confident” that police are wearing Cavalcante down.
“Regardless of the location and background that a person comes from, these are hot, humid temperatures. He’s not living in shelter, has no regular means of obtaining food other than if he’s able to break in someplace or find something, scavenge something. So, it’s a difficult existence out there for somebody that’s trying to do this. That will definitely take its toll,” he said.
Two suburban Philadelphia school districts remained shuttered and Longwood Gardens, where Cavalcante was spotted on trail surveillance video on Monday night, was closed as authorities kept up their search.
Longwood Gardens has since announced that it would reopen Thursday, as police activity has shifted and the property is no longer part of the search radius.
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Life sentence
Cavalcante escaped while awaiting transfer to state prison.
He received a life sentence last month for killing his ex-girlfriend, Deborah Brandao, in front of her children in 2021. Prosecutors said he killed her to stop her from telling police that he’s wanted in a 2017 killing in his native Brazil.
He had been captured in Virginia after Brandao’s killing. Authorities believe he was trying to return to Brazil.
Reward increases to $20,000
The reward for information leading to Cavalcante’s apprehension has increased.
Crime Stoppers is now offering up to $10,000.
That’s in addition to the $10,000 already being offered by Chester County Commissioners and the U.S. Marshals.
- TIP LINE: 717-562-2987
Below: Video of previous sighting