Escaped killer Danelo Cavalcante, who «crabbed out» of prison, was caught after a two-week hunt

Danelo Cavalcante escaped from the Chester County Jail on August 31st. Photo: Chester County Jail

Convicted murderer escaped from Pennsylvania prison. was captured Wednesday last month after eluding an expanding manhunt for weeks, state police said.

Danelo Cavalcante, 34, escaped from the Chester County Jail, about 30 miles (50 kilometers) to the west. from Philadelphia, in August. 31, sneaking between two walls that formed a narrow corridor in the prison yard and climbing onto the roof.

He escaped while awaiting transfer from the county jail to a state correctional facility to begin serving a life sentence imposed after in August he was convicted of the brutal murder of his ex-girlfriend.

His escape alarmed many. in the region. School districts canceled classes for the day after Cavalcante was seen on surveillance video on a community garden path. Police expanded the search and urged residents to keep their doors locked, but he managed to slip through the original perimeter.

More than a week after escaping, he stole a van and drove about 25 miles (40 km) before abandoning the car. By then he had shaved his beard. He also stole a rifle from the garage when the homeowner fired several shots at him.

During his While fleeing, Cavalcante tried to ask several people for help, including his sister, but she did not help him, police said. She was later taken into custody for immigration violations.

A jury found Cavalcante guilty of murder in April 2021 for stabbing his ex-girlfriend in her Schuylkill Township home in front of in her young children. After the killing, he fled the scene, authorities said. Police arrested him hours later in Virginia.

After his escape from the county jail, authorities offered a $25,000 reward for information leading to his capture.

Cavalcante, a Brazilian citizen , According to the US Marshals Service, he is also a suspect in a murder committed in Brazil in 2017.