Following his appearance on a trail camera at one of the top botanical gardens in the country, authorities have relocated and widened their search for a killer who escaped from a Philadelphia suburb prison last week.
Since making his break-out from Chester State Prison on Thursday, Danelo Cavalcante, 34, has been located five times. The most recent sighting occurred on Monday evening at Longwood Gardens, where security footage showed him moving around the area while carrying a duffel bag, a backpack, and a hooded sweater.
After determining that Cavalcante had probably slipped through the original perimeter due to that sighting, officials expanded the search area farther south, but they claimed his activities indicated he was feeling the pressure of the extensive search and that his options were becoming more limited.
Authorities advised locals to keep their homes and vehicles locked, while two nearby school districts decided to cancel classes on Tuesday as a precaution due to the expanded search.
Additionally, they were instructed to search for any missing automobiles, bicycles, or other modes of transportation that Cavalcante might use to facilitate his flight, as well as the residences of his vacationing neighbours.
“You’re dealing with someone who is desperate and doesn’t want to be caught,” George Bivens, deputy commissioner of operations for the Pennsylvania State Police, said during a news conference Tuesday. “If he can find some shelter, if he can find some food, he’s going to take advantage of whatever he finds.”
When asked how Cavalcante managed to escape, the authorities said they were still looking into it. He fled while awaiting transfer to a state jail after being given a life sentence last month for killing his ex-girlfriend in front of her children.
“He’s a bad guy. He needs to be in custody and we are determined to capture him,” Bivens said.
In 2021, a jury found Cavalcante guilty of killing Deborah Brandao. Authorities say he is very dangerous and wanted in his native Brazil for a murder from 2017.
According to the prosecution, he killed his ex-girlfriend to prevent her from informing the authorities about the accusations levelled against him in Brazil. After Brandao was killed, he was apprehended in Virginia, and investigators suspect he was attempting to return to Brazil.
Police have been looking for Cavalcante using drones, helicopters, and dogs. They have also been broadcasting a message in Portuguese that was recorded by Cavalcante’s mother pleading with him to quietly surrender.
Approximately 25 miles (40 km) west of Philadelphia is where the penitentiary is located.
This year’s prison break in Pennsylvania is not the first.
A murder suspect escaped the Warren County jail on July 6 by using exercise equipment, a window, and a rope made out of jail bedding. He was missing for more than a week. In order to avoid capture, he was discovered to be filthy, wet, and “worn out” from living in the bush, according to the authorities.
Two prisoners broke through a fence encircling a recreation yard on 7 May to escape from the Philadelphia Industrial Correction Centre. It took authorities almost 19 hours to discover their disappearance. Both were taken the following week.
