Escaped murderer Danelo Cavalcante spotted 20 miles from search area | US News
An escaped murderer who has evaded police for 11 days was spotted nearly 20 miles outside the search area.
Danelo Cavalcante, a convicted murderer who escaped from Chester County Prison on August 31, was spotted with a new appearance after he tried to contact former coworkers.
Cavalcante, 34, was sentenced to life in prison after stabbing his girlfriend in front of her young children. Prosecutors say he murdered her after she threatened to reveal he was wanted for another murder in Brazil.
He escaped from the prison near Pocopson Township, Pennsylvania by ‘crab-walking’ through an entranceway to avoid detection.
Chester County District Attorney Deb Ryan called Cavalcante ‘extremely dangerous.’
‘I don’t know what he is capable of doing,’ Ryan said. ‘If he’s already engaged in murder in broad daylight in front of her two children there is no stopping him from doing something more egregious.’
State and local police set up a large perimeter near the prison in the Philadelphia suburbs. They also began blasting a message from his mother in Portuguese from helicopters and patrol cars, begging him to turn himself in.
However, he was most recently spotted on a doorbell camera over 20 miles north of the search area.
Pennsylvania State Police Lieutenant Colonel George Bivens said the escape was a ‘minor setback’ and promised to ‘aggressively pursue the convicted murderer.
‘We’ll get him, it’s a matter of time,’ Bivens said.
Early on Sunday morning, state police confirmed that Cavalcante was spotted near East Pikeland Township.
Police also confirmed that Cavalcante stole a Ford Transit van near the northern boundary of the perimeter. The vehicle was unlocked and its keys were in the ignition, police said.
The van belonged to Baily’s Dairy, a small farm near West Chester. According to the farm, it was stolen between 7pm and 10pm while employees were still working at the site.
It is unclear how he managed to drive out of the perimeter undetected.
‘I don’t know how he got over there,’ Bivens said at a press conference. ‘No perimeter is 100% secure. We do the best we can.’
After he escaped from the perimeter, he drove north to East Pikeland and Phoenixville, where he showed up at the doorstep of a former coworker.
‘Cavalcante spoke with the individual via a video doorbell at that residence, and inquired about meeting with that individual,’ Bivens said.
However, his old coworker was out eating dinner with his family.
‘The homeowner eventually returned home, reviewed his doorbell recording, and called local police,’ Bivens said.
Photos from the doorbell camera show that the escaped convict has changed his appearance, shaving his beard and moustache. It is unclear if he has also shaved his long curly hair.
Although he was previously spotted wearing his prison-issued clothing, he appears to have changed into a green hoodie and black baseball cap.
About an hour later, Cavalcante tried to contact another former coworker in the nearby town of Phoenixville.
The van Cavalcante used was eventually found abandoned behind a barn in East Nantmeal Township, about 20 miles north of the dairy farm. Authorities believe Cavalcante ditched the van after it ran out of gas.
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