Danilo Cavalcante, Pennsylvania Prison Escape Murderer Arrested

Photo: CNN.

On Wednesday morning, Chester County Representative Deb Ryan declared the nightmare over.

The 8 a.m. raid on Danilo Cavalcante in Chester County on Wednesday involved a helicopter, a police dog and more than 20 special forces officers.

At 1 a.m. Wednesday, a patrol plane in the search area detected heat signals from the ground. A storm then swept in and lightning conditions forced the plane to retreat. A special police task force of more than 20 officers surrounded the area and waited for the storm to pass by Wednesday morning.

Photo of Cavalcante.

Officers found Cavalcante sleeping on top of a gun he had stolen from a resident Monday night. Officers caught Cavalcante by surprise, and he tried to run away. A police dog caught up with him and bit him, preventing him from using the rifle, and officers quickly arrested him.

Cavalcante remained “resisting and resisting” when arrested, said Pennsylvania State Police Sgt. George Bivens.

“When the police dog caught up with him, he fell backwards and the police dog pressed down on him, not allowing him to escape. I knew he had a gun in his hand.”

Photo: Pennsylvania State Police capture the murderer.

Video from KYW shows Cavalcante being handcuffed and arrested by more than 10 heavily armed officers, escorted into an armored Special Response Team vehicle.

Cavalcante had blood on his face, was wearing dark pants and a Philadelphia Eagles hoodie. Several police officers also took photos with the criminal and the gun he stole.

No one was injured in the arrest.

“For me, it's a huge relief to know that no one was injured and that the officers are safe,” said Mr. Bivens.

Photo: Matt Rourke/AP.

Cavalcante had been on the run for two weeks, surviving on only a watermelon he stole from a farm and drinking spring water.

“He tried to evade capture,” said Robert Clark, U.S. Marshal for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania. “After escaping from prison, he hid in a very remote, wooded area and did not move for several days.”

Cavalcante also said he planned to carjack a car on Thursday and cross the border into Canada to continue his escape.

“He said the presence of law enforcement at his hiding place made him nervous and felt the need to flee,” Mr. Clark said.

Two weeks in fear

The manhunt began two weeks ago after Danilo Cavalcante, 34, escaped from the Chester County jail in a remote area 30 miles west of Philadelphia on Aug. 31.

Last month he was charged with first-degree murder in the killing of his 33-year-old girlfriend, Deborah Brandão, and sentenced to life in prison.

Prosecutors say he stabbed Deborah multiple times in front of their two young children in Pennsylvania in April 2021. He was arrested hours after the incident. Authorities say he tried to flee to Mexico with the intention of later fleeing to Brazil.

Cavalcante was also wanted for a murder in 2017 in Brazil.

Deborah's sister, Sarah Brandão, said in a statement after Cavalcante's arrest that her family was "deeply grateful for the efforts and support" from law enforcement.

Sarah said the news of Cavalcante's escape and the days that followed felt like the days she lost her brother.

“The last two weeks have been filled with fear and pain, as I feel like I have lost my brother again and am terrified that the criminal might hurt us. At this time, our family needs to come together and help each other through what has happened.”

The escape has turned life upside down in South Coventry Township, a town of 2,600. About 500 police officers, including members of the Pennsylvania State Police, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the FBI and the U.S. Marshals Service, have been deployed to the wooded area.

During his two weeks on the run, Cavalcante was spotted in several homes, broke through police cordons, hijacked a car, changed his appearance, showed up at acquaintances' homes and stole a rifle.

According to Cavalcante's testimony, the law enforcement officers following him got so close that they "stepped on him" three times.

“Those statements show how densely wooded that area is,” Clark said. “It’s a huge area. I don’t think the public understands how difficult the search was, and especially in the extreme weather conditions.”

Police have made repeated calls to residents warning them of the danger and advising them to lock their doors. Some schools and businesses have closed on police orders or simply out of fear.

On Wednesday, police called residents with a different message.

“This is a message from the Pennsylvania State Police. The search for Danilo Cavalcante is over. The suspect is in custody.”

Catherine Evans, who lived in the Cavalcante area when she was arrested, worked from home and locked all doors, keeping a high level of awareness of the area around her home.

“I was shocked to find out he was so close. I’m glad things are back to normal. I’m excited to get back to my normal life, which I thought was boring.”

The fate of Cavalcante. Photo: Matt Rourke/AP.

After his arrest, Cavalcante was taken to the Avondale police station, where he was escorted by several police officers.

At 3 p.m. Wednesday, he arrived at Pennsylvania's Phoenix State Correctional Institution (SCI Phoenix), a prison in Montgomery County, where he will serve a life sentence for first-degree murder.

SCI Phoenix is ​​a maximum security prison and has a capacity of 3,830 inmates.

In addition to first-degree murder, Cavalcante is also facing a prison escape charge and his request for bail was also denied in court on Wednesday.

He appeared in court at 10:30 a.m. Wednesday, and is due in court again on September 27 for a preliminary hearing.

Cavalcante's court records do not list an attorney and authorities declined to comment.

Pennsylvania Attorney General Michelle Henry said Cavalcante will face charges of escape and will be sent to a correctional facility.

“This was a thorough search for a violent and dangerous criminal and it has come to an ideal conclusion,” said Michelle. “The suspect was apprehended and no members of the public or police were harmed. I commend the hundreds of officers involved in the operation for staying focused on the task at hand and not being deterred by the difficulties they faced.”

Bivens said Cavalcante looked like someone who had been hiding in the woods for a long time, and he seemed extremely stressed.

“That was our goal from the beginning. We wanted to keep him tense, keep him moving, and make him make bad decisions.”

Cavalcante's sister, Eleni Cavalcante, was also arrested by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement and is in the process of being deported for failing to cooperate with the investigation.

“There were people who were trying to help him,” Mr. Bivens said. “We were able to stop those people from helping him.”

Ryan said the first call Eleni made after Danilo’s arrest was to the Brandão family. She said they had “locked themselves up in their house and didn’t feel safe going anywhere.”

“They were so happy when he was caught. They had a nightmare.”

Nguyen Quang Minh (according to CNN)

Source: https://www.nguoiduatin.vn/danilo-cavalcante-ke-sat-nhan-vuot-nguc-tai-pennsylvania-bi-bat-giu-a626418.html