Danelo Cavalcante, a convicted murderer who had escaped from a U.S. prison two weeks prior, was finally captured with the assistance of a law enforcement K-9 unit after a heat-sensing aircraft pinpointed his exact location.
Cavalcante, 34 years old, was apprehended in a wooded area in Pennsylvania as he attempted to evade officers who had surrounded him. The dramatic capture brought an end to an extensive two-week manhunt that involved over 500 officers following his escape on August 31st. Only a week before his escape, Cavalcante had been sentenced to life in prison for the 2021 murder of his ex-girlfriend, committed in front of her two children.
Cavalcante’s escape was an audacious one, involving a daring “crab-walk” maneuver between two walls and scaling a razor-wire fence at Chester County Prison, located approximately 30 miles west of Philadelphia. The extensive manhunt had left the residents of Chester County on edge, prompting law enforcement to advise them to secure their doors and stay indoors.
During a press conference, Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro commended the capture of Cavalcante, emphasizing that it had been achieved without any shots being fired. He attributed this success to the exceptional efforts of law enforcement and the invaluable support of the public.
The search operation included mounted patrols, canine units, and aircraft scouring the woods of South Coventry Township, with a crucial assist from a burglar alarm at a nearby residence.
A plane from the Drug Enforcement Administration detected a heat signature on the ground, leading a tactical team of officers to converge on the heat source and ultimately locate and surround Cavalcante. Despite the element of surprise, Cavalcante resisted arrest and attempted to flee, clutching a stolen rifle as he navigated through dense underbrush.
However, the determined efforts of a four-year-old Belgian Malinois police dog named Yoda led to the successful subduing of Cavalcante, resulting in only a minor bite wound. Officers promptly took him into custody.
Cavalcante, who sustained a scalp wound during the arrest, will undergo a medical evaluation before being transferred to a correctional facility. He will also face a felony escape charge in court, as announced by the attorney general of Philadelphia.
Cavalcante’s capture marked the conclusion of a harrowing two-week period for Chester County, which had already witnessed security enhancements in response to his escape. The parallels between his escape method and another inmate’s earlier breakout raised significant concerns about prison security.
While on the run, Cavalcante made multiple attempts to contact acquaintances, including his sister, who was subsequently taken into custody for an immigration violation.
During the manhunt, Cavalcante also entered an open garage, absconding with a .22 caliber rifle as the homeowner fired several shots in his direction. Throughout this tense period, the family of his murdered ex-girlfriend, Deborah Brandão, remained under 24-hour police protection.
Cavalcante’s escape and the subsequent manhunt gained considerable attention, not only in the United States but also in his native Brazil, where social media users celebrated the conclusion of the search. Silvia Brandão, the sister of the victim, expressed relief regarding the arrest, acknowledging fears of potential revenge from Cavalcante. In addition to the murder of Brandão, Cavalcante faces allegations of killing a young acquaintance over an unpaid debt in the central Brazilian state of Tocantins in 2017.
The dramatic capture of Danelo Cavalcante serves as a stark reminder of the determination and resourcefulness of law enforcement agencies in pursuit of fugitives, as well as the critical role that technology and public cooperation play in bringing criminals to justice.
