Convicted murderer Danelo Cavalcante, who had escaped from a Pennsylvania jail, was apprehended on Wednesday, putting an end to a tense and extensive two-week manhunt that had left Philadelphia suburb residents on edge.
Authorities successfully captured Cavalcante with the assistance of a heat-sensing aircraft and a police dog.
The operation unfolded at approximately 8 a.m. in a rural area situated about 30 miles west of Philadelphia. Tactical teams effectively surrounded the fugitive, Cavalcante, who had managed to crawl away. However, a police dog swiftly subdued him, leading to his forceful apprehension, as revealed by Pennsylvania State Police Lieutenant Colonel George Bivens.
Cavalcante had been armed with a rifle that he had stolen from a garage but was taken into custody without any further incidents. Fortunately, he did not have the opportunity to utilize the firearm.
The escape had occurred two weeks prior when Cavalcante broke free from the Chester County Prison. He accomplished this by navigating between two walls, forming a narrow corridor in the jailhouse yard, and eventually making his way onto the roof, according to the police’s account.
During a Wednesday news briefing, Bivens addressed questions regarding the prolonged manhunt, acknowledging the challenges of locating someone who actively avoids capture in a vast area.
Cavalcante’s escape transpired on August 31st while he awaited transfer from the county lock-up to a state correctional institution. His transfer was scheduled to mark the beginning of a life sentence following his conviction for the brutal murder of a former girlfriend.
The process leading to Cavalcante’s capture commenced shortly after midnight on Wednesday when police responded to an alarm activation at a nearby residence. Approximately an hour later, a Drug Enforcement Administration aircraft detected a heat signal from the air. In response, tactical units rapidly converged on that location.
Following his capture, a group of about two dozen police officers, donning tactical gear, posed for a collective photograph. Cavalcante stood in front of them with his arms pinned behind his back. Bivens, in response to inquiries about the photograph, expressed pride in the law enforcement team’s work and remained unfazed by the image.
The successful apprehension of Danelo Cavalcante marked the end of a challenging and high-stakes manhunt, providing a sense of relief to the community and law enforcement agencies involved.
