In an unexpected turn of events, the convicted murderer who avoided authorities for nearly two weeks after escaping from a Pennsylvania prison was captured on Wednesday morning.
The Pennsylvania State Police announced the successful conclusion of a colossal search that involved hundreds of law enforcement personnel and left the local community in a state of terror.
Dramatic Capture: Convicted Murderer Apprehended After Massive Manhunt
District Attorney Deb Ryan of Chester County exclaimed, “Our nightmare is finally over,” conveying her relief at the capture of the fugitive.
According to authorities, the dramatic apprehension of Danilo Cavalcante occurred around 8:00 a.m. in Chester County and involved an aircraft, a lightning storm, a police dog, and over twenty tactical officers.
At 1 a.m. on Wednesday, an aircraft soaring over the search area detected a heat signal on the ground, signaling a breakthrough in the search.
However, a thunderstorm with lightning forced the plane to retreat, prompting 20 to 25 officers to secure the area and wait for daylight.
Cavalcante was discovered asleep on top of a stolen rifle near a resident’s property.
When officers surprised him, he attempted to escape through dense undergrowth while holding the gun.
Cavalcante was prevented from utilizing the firearm after a police dog bit him. Consequently, he was brought into detention.
Despite being captured, Cavalcante resisted arrest and was bitten on the skull by the police dog.
The fugitive’s capture marked the conclusion of a nearly two-week search that began on August 31, when he escaped from Chester County Prison.
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The Hunt for Danilo Cavalcante
In April of 2021, he savagely stabbed Deborah Brando 38 times in front of her children in Pennsylvania, where he was serving a life sentence for the first-degree murder of his ex-girlfriend.
Shortly after the murder, Cavalcante was apprehended in Virginia, where authorities revealed he attempted to escape to Mexico before continuing to his native Brazil.
In addition, he was sought in Brazil in connection with a 2017 homicide case.
The escape threw South Coventry Township into chaos, prompting lockdowns, evacuations, and the deployment of more than 500 law enforcement officers, including members of the Pennsylvania State Police, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, the FBI, and US Marshals.
While on the run, Cavalcante had been observed inside homes, altered his appearance, stolen a van, and even interacted with individuals he knew years ago.
During the search, he came close to being detected on multiple occasions.
After weeks of apprehension, the affected area’s residents received a Reverse 911 call proclaiming Cavalcante’s capture, bringing relief and a return to normalcy.
Cavalcante was transferred to the maximum-security State Correctional Institution – Phoenix in Montgomery County, Pennsylvania, where he will serve his life sentence for first-degree murder. Additional accusations related to his escape await him.
While his capture ended the exhaustive search, law enforcement officials, the community, and Deborah Brando’s family took comfort in the fact that this violent fugitive was back in custody without harming any residents or officers.
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