Manhunt for Danelo Cavalcante continues after his escape from Chester County Jail
Pennsylvania authorities continue to search for a killer who escaped from prison Thursday morning, just days after being sentenced to life without the possibility of parole.
Authorities say they are now offering a $10,000 reward in the second day of their manhunt for 34-year-old Danelo Cavalcante after authorities say he escaped from prison of Chester County, a state correctional facility located in the township of West Chester, Pennsylvania. Cavalcante was waiting to be transferred to another establishment.
“Law enforcement is doing everything in their power to continue to locate him,” Dana Moore, spokeswoman for the Chester District Attorney’s Office, told USA TODAY Friday morning. “We are recruiting as many people as possible to expand the search.”
US Marshals have also joined efforts to find Cavalcante, also wanted in connection with a homicide in his native Brazil, the agency previously said. A request for comment to US Marshals was not immediately returned Friday morning.
Pennsylvania Department of Corrections spokeswoman Maria Bivens told USA TODAY that Cavalcante was scheduled to be transported to a state prison on September 8, nearly a month after a jury found him guilty of the death. stabbing of his then-girlfriend in April 2021. Deborah Brandao, 33. Cavalcante killed Brandao in front of his two children outside his home in Schuylkill Township, about 30 miles northwest of Philadelphia. He fled, with the help of others, but was eventually arrested in Virginia.
Ongoing manhunt:‘Extremely dangerous’ man escapes Pennsylvania jail after being sentenced to life for murdering ex-girlfriend
Rafael Pinto Alamy, a homicide prosecutor in the Brazilian state of Tocantins, told USA TODAY that Cavalcante is charged with the fatal shooting of a man on November 5, 2017 in the rural municipality of Figueiropolis.
The case was put on hold because Cavalcante fled to the United States, Pinto told Alamy in a WhatsApp message.
Chester County Commissioners and US Marshals are each offering $5,000 for information leading to his capture.
Cavalcante most recently lived in Royersford, a small town 32 miles northwest of Philadelphia, according to court records. The Philadelphia Inquirer reported that Cavalcante worked in construction and other trades after fleeing Brazil following the alleged 2017 murder. Pinto Alamy told USA TODAY that Cavalcante lived on a farm as a farmhand in his native country.
A spokesperson for U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement told USA TODAY the agency learned that Cavalcante was in the country illegally after his arrest. The agency issued an order, but it’s unclear how or when he entered the United States, adding that ICE is also assisting with searches, the spokesperson said.
On Thursday afternoon, Chester County District Attorney Deb Ryan told reporters that Cavalcante stabbed Brandao 38 times after past domestic abuse during their relationship that lasted about a year and a half. It took the jury 15 minutes to convict him.
Ryan said Cavalcante had “nothing to lose” and might be able to commit more dangerous crimes. Moore said people who see him should not approach him but call 911 immediately.
The wanted man was last seen shortly before 10 a.m. Thursday in Pocopson Township while walking on Wawaset Road. Standing 5ft tall and weighing 120lbs, he was last seen in a white T-shirt, gray shorts and white sneakers. He is fluent in Portuguese and Spanish.
In addition to 911, anyone with information about their current location can also call US Marshals at 1-877-WANTED2 or report the sighting online at usmarshals.gov/tips.
USA Today
