Danelo Cavalcante, a 34-year-old Brazilian just sentenced to life in prison in the United States for the murder of his ex-partner, has escaped and is actively sought by the police.
The run of a criminal considered dangerous after his spectacular escape from prison in the northeast of the United States has put the police on edge and is disrupting the life of a county in the large suburbs of Philadelphia, where schools were closed on Wednesday for security purposes.
Nearly a week after the escape of Danelo Cavalcante, a 34-year-old Brazilian who had just been sentenced a few days earlier to life in prison for the stabbing murder of his former girlfriend, “hundreds of “Law enforcement officers are working around the clock using helicopters, drones and dog units to locate the fugitive,” the Chester County Prosecutor’s Office announced.
The man, with black hair and beard collar on the wanted notice issued by the authorities, was seen Monday evening on video surveillance images of a botanical garden normally open to the public, but which remained closed on Wednesday, in the small town of Kennett Square, west of Philadelphia.
“Yesterday evening (Tuesday), a resident saw him again”, in the same area, “the teams searched for him for hours but were unable to find him”, announced during a conference of Press Lieutenant Colonel George Bivens of the Pennsylvania State Police.
An escape filmed by prison cameras
Authorities consider the fugitive, who escaped through the roofs of the Chester County Jail, dangerous. His escape, a video of which was captured by a camera was released Wednesday by the authorities, is as spectacular as it is embarrassing for prison officials.
In the extract, we see the prisoner, white t-shirt, blue pants and white sneakers, hiding in a recess of the exercise yard, then climbing agilely, spider-man style, his body horizontally between two walls , and disappear.
Risks of burglaries
“You’re dealing with someone who is desperate and doesn’t want to be caught,” George Bivens warned. He highlighted the risk that he would burglarize homes to find something to hold on to during his run and asked residents to close their doors and vehicles, calling for “keep the pressure on” on the fugitive.
“He has clearly already obtained clothing and other unidentified items, and we want to minimize any possibility of him obtaining anything more,” the lieutenant colonel also said.
“It’s the first time in nine years that I’ve needed to close the door of my house when I go to work”, testified, in the daily Philadelphia Inquirera resident, Joe Delahanty, who says he was checked four times by the police on Wednesday morning.
Schools closed
Establishments in two school districts also closed Tuesday and Wednesday, their officials apologizing to parents but citing security concerns and the need to facilitate police searches.
Danelo Cavalcante was sentenced on August 22 to life in prison for stabbing his former girlfriend to death, in front of the victim’s child, during an argument in April 2021. According to the police, he is also wanted for a murder committed in Brazil.
Rewards totaling $20,000 have been promised by the courts and police to help locate him.
Source: BFM TV
