Hundreds of law enforcement teams, including US Marshals, SWAT, local, state, and other federal agencies, are searching for Danelo Cavalcante, an “extremely dangerous” convicted killer who escaped from a Pennsylvania prison on Thursday.
Cavalcante, 34, fatally stabbed his 33-year-old ex-girlfriend Deborah Brandao in front of the victim’s seven-year-old daughter and three-year-old son in April 2021. He was found guilty on August 16 and given a life sentence without the possibility of parole.
The killer, who broke out of Chester County Prison in West Chester around 8.45am on Thursday, was seen on surveillance cameras at approximately 2:30 a.m. on Saturday in Pocopson Township, about 1.5 miles away from the facility, according to Chester County District Attorney Deb Ryan. Just an hour earlier, local officials had received a complaint of an attempted burglary in the vicinity, even though it is not immediately clear if Cavalcante was in fact involved.
“Law enforcement is requesting that residents in the area remain indoors at this time. Lock your vehicles. Review your surveillance cameras and contact police if you observe anything suspicious,” the DA said in a statement. “If you see this individual do not approach him. Call 911 immediately”.
Cavalcante is described as a 5ft Brazilian male with a light complexion, shaggy, black wavy hair, and brown eyes. The US Marshals Service for Philadelphia stated that he is also sought for a murder that occurred in Brazil in 2017.
Notification of the escape has been communicated to all residents within a six-mile radius of the prison. Authorities have not provided details about the events behind Cavalcante’s jailbreak but have stated that an inquiry is ongoing.
