Residents relieved after escaped murder convict is captured in Chester County
CHESTER COUNTY, Pennsylvania (WPVI) -- A murderer who brazenly escaped from a Pennsylvania jail was captured Wednesday in the woods by a team of tactical officers, bringing an end to an intensive search that terrified residents as the fugitive broke into homes for food, changed his appearance, and stole a van and rifle during two weeks on the run.
Danelo Cavalcante, 34, escaped the Chester County Prison on August 31 and had been hiding in various locations across the county ever since.
Law enforcement's big break came overnight as a plane fitted with a thermal imaging camera picked up Cavalcante's heat signal, allowing tactical teams on the ground to secure the area, surround him, and move in with search dogs.
Cavalcante - still armed with the rifle he stole from a homeowner's garage - tried to escape by crawling through thick underbrush. But a U.S. Customs and Border Protection officer released a search dog named Yoda that subdued him, said Pennsylvania State Police Lt. Col. George Bivens, adding that Cavalcante, who was wearing a Philadelphia Eagles sweatshirt, continued to resist as he was taken into custody after 8 a.m.
RELATED | K-9 named Yoda helped authorities catch escaped murderer in Pennsylvania
Cavalcante, 34, was bitten on the scalp and suffered a minor wound, Bivens said. No shots were fired.
Now, residents say they are relieved that the long search is over.
"It was a little more emotional than I expected it to be. I think it was just days of anxiety, sleep deprivation, mixed with relief all at the same time," said Kathleen Brady, who lives on the street where Cavalcante stole the gun Monday night.
Brady watched the procession as she and her young daughter returned home after staying elsewhere Tuesday night.
"We are back home. The streets are quiet once again. There were no checkpoints. The sun is coming out. The heat has dropped," Brady said, describing the community's elation. "Poetic justice, and justice, all at the same time."
Brady wasn't the only one who had an up-close look at the manhunt. Rob and Sarah Black from East Nantmeal Township say the search perimeter led right up to their driveway.
"They suspected he'd be coming this way because they were trying to search the other side and push him this way," said Rob.
"They found his shoes at our neighbor's house up there, in the fields," added Sarah. "They think he was in the creek over there hanging out Sunday night."
READ | Timeline and Interactive Map: The hunt for escaped murderer Danelo Cavalcante
People all over the county say their day-to-day lives were heavily impacted by the search, with police setting up staging areas in local parking lots or shopping centers.
Checkpoints were also set up at various intersections within the search areas, serving as a constant reminder that a convicted murderer was on the loose.
The concern was very real, and people lived on edge as they waited to either spot the escapee themselves or watch him get caught.
"Everybody's on edge, reporting everything they hear from leaves rustling to dogs barking, which is a normal occurrence, but we don't know," said Mary Beth Lucier from West Vincent Township, describing the anxiety of having Cavalcante on the loose.
Some people even said they gave up their regular activities in fear of the murder convict.
"I walk over here every day. My wife walks every day, but we haven't been walking," said Larry Ihnat from West Vincent Township.
Instead, many say they were glued to their phones to see the latest on Cavalcante's escape.
SEE ALSO | How police captured escaped prisoner Danelo Cavalcante in Chester County, Pa.
"When I heard the helicopter and it was like, over here, that's when I knew that they had a vehicle. So, I was able to watch them transport him going all the way there," said Jennifer Keim in West Vincent Township. "I was out here watching it, as they're bringing him down in the armored vehicle."
"I was actually following it on one of these YouTube follower-things. I think it was two evenings ago. And I saw that we're doing a flight track of the plane and it was right over our house, holy crap, but we're very relieved. That's the big word for us," added Ihnat.
Now, people are praising the hundreds of law enforcement officers who helped capture the inmate.
"I give a shoutout to police for being able to stay with it, because it's a struggle," said Jimmi Hilliard from West Vincent Township.
Cavalcante received a life sentence in Pennsylvania in August for killing his ex-girlfriend, Deborah Brandao, in front of her children in 2021. Prosecutors say he murdered her to stop her from telling police he was wanted in the Brazil killing. He had been arrested in Virginia after Brandao's killing, and authorities say they believe he was trying to return to Brazil.
The prison tower guard on duty when Cavalcante escaped was fired. The escape went undetected for more than an hour until guards took a headcount.
Cavalcante was captured in a gray Philadelphia Eagles sweatshirt that he either found or stole. Aerial footage showed an officer cutting it off Cavalcante as he was loaded into a police truck.
The governor promised to deliver a new one to the owner.
"Whoever had their Eagles hoodie stolen, if you could let us know," Shapiro said, "I'll do my best to get you one of those new kelly green ones."
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
