Escaped Pennsylvania Killer Captured: How Heat Technology and a Border Patrol Dog Ended a 2-Week Manhunt

 

Murderer Danelo Cavalcante managed to escape before being apprehended on Wednesday morning, according to police, who used thermal heat technology to track him down from an aeroplane until a U.S. Border Patrol tactical unit dog finally managed to pin him down.

Cavalcante, a 34-year-old convicted murderer who escaped from prison on August 31, was brought in a convoy to the Avondale State Police barracks where he arrived shortly before 9 a.m. wrapped in a foil blanket, according to Pennsylvania State Police's Lt. Col. George Bivens.

A small dog bite was the only severe injury he had, according to Bivens.

At 8:18 a.m., Cavalcante was taken into arrest, according to Chester County officers, who were heard on a public radio call.

Chester County government, radio stations, and other organisations are all working on the prisoner's escape. I'm happy to report that the individual is in police custody. Reiterating, suspect is in custody, an officer from Chester County declared.

One day after police established an eight to ten square mile perimeter in northern Chester County, the arrest takes place.
Bivens reported that just after midnight on Tuesday, a burglar alarm went off at a house inside the perimeter. It was inspected, but Cavalcante was not found there.

Around one in the morning, a tracking aircraft picked up a heat signal, and tactical teams flocked to the area.

According to Bivens, a thunderstorm with lightning forced the plane to flee the region and temporarily halted the tracking operation. He stated tactical personnel held the location overnight while waiting for planes to arrive.

The tactical teams arrived to the heat source in a forested area west of PA 100 on Wednesday just after 8 a.m. with "the element of surprise," according to Bivens.

Until that moment, Cavalcante was unaware that he was being surrounded, according to Bivens. Cavalcante still had a.22 calibre weapon that he had taken, the man stated, adding that Cavalcante "began to crawl through thick underbrush, taking his rifle with him."

Cavalcante was eventually subdued by a dog that was on the scene with the Border Patrol Tactical Unit before the team from BORTAC and Pennsylvania State Police went in.

He resisted being brought into prison, but no one was hurt, according to Bivens.

Cavalcante was transferred to the Avondale station for additional processing and questioning after medical staff examined the bite. Later on, he will be sent to a state prison to carry out his life sentence.

"It is a true pleasure to stand here this morning and talk to all of you about bringing this manhunt to a successful conclusion and without getting anyone else hurt, most importantly," said Bivens.

Following reports of sightings of Cavalcante on Monday night, the arrest occurs today.

Responding teams discovered the man's jail shoes after a driver reported seeing him crouching in the woods along the south side of Fairview Road, west of Route 100.

The same night, a homeowner called to report shooting Cavalcante after catching him stealing a rifle from the garage. According to police, the prisoner was uninjured in the encounter.

PA 23 to the north, PA 100 to the east, Fairview to the south, and County Park Road to the west made up the boundary.

Surveillance footage revealed that the 5-foot-2, 120-pound Cavalcante stretched himself between two parallel walls during his escape in order to reach the roof of Chester County Prison in Pocopson Township and managed to elude the watchtower guard.

A county spokeswoman reported that a guard with 18 years of experience who failed to notice Cavalcante's escape has subsequently been sacked. According to the county representative, the unnamed guard violated Chester County Prison rules by using a mobile while in the tower.

Cavalcante's capture, according to a statement released by Chester County Commissioners on Wednesday, "ends the nightmare of the past two weeks," and they expressed their gratitude to the several law enforcement agencies that mobilised to find him.

The county's prison officials, according to the commissioners Marian Moskowitz, Josh Maxwell, and Michelle Kichline, have "some immediate changes to bolster security," have hired security contractors to make permanent changes to the exercise yards, and are reviewing changing procedures for security measures and communication to nearby residents.

On August 16, Cavalcante was found guilty of first-degree murder in the death of his 33-year-old ex-girlfriend. He received a life sentence without the chance of release.

In relation to a murder that occurred in his home Brazil in 2017, he is also wanted there.

Police claimed they were convinced they had Cavalcante cornered despite the fact that he had been on the run for many days. They also appealed for the public's patience.

Both sides of the search were probably slowed down by the highly forested region where police had been seeking for Cavalcante.

Images of the escapee have revealed that he was able to shave and change clothing while he was outdoors.

During the manhunt, certain neighbourhood schools and a botanical garden were closed. At one point, police helicopters and patrol vehicles in the region broadcast audio of Cavalcante's mother pleading with her son to turn himself in.

According to a prosecutor, Cavalcante's escape compelled police to offer his victim's family round-the-clock security.

Despite a guarded, round-the-clock police presence, the victim's loved ones were "terrified" by Cavalcante's escape and "barricaded" themselves inside their house, according to Chester County District Attorney Deb Ryan.

This story is still developing. Please return to this page for updates.