Escaped Pennsylvania prisoner Danelo Cavalcante captured

Authorities announced the capture Wednesday of convicted murderer Danelo Cavalcante two weeks after he escaped from a Pennsylvania prison.

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Hundreds of law enforcement officials searched for Cavalcante, who escaped from Chester County Prison on Aug. 31, weeks after he was convicted of first-degree murder and sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole.

Cavalcante mugshot released

Update 5:22 p.m. EDT Sept. 13: The Pennsylvania Department of Corrections released a formal mugshot of Danelo Cavalacante on Wednesday afternoon.

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Cavalcante to face felony escape charge

Update 11:20 a.m. EDT Sept. 13: Pennsylvania Attorney General Michelle Henry said Cavalcante is expected to be arraigned on a felony escape charge filed when he escaped from Chester County Prison on Aug. 31.

Henry’s office will handle the investigation and prosecution of the case. In a statement released Wednesday, she praised authorities for their work in finding Cavalcante.

“This was an exhaustive search for an extremely violent and dangerous man that ended with the best possible outcome – the escapee’s capture without physical harm to residents or the brave officers who tracked him down,” Henry said. “I commend the hundreds of searchers who were laser-focused in their mission, and did not flinch at the challenges they endured along the way.”

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Captured UNSPECIFIED, PENNSYLVANIA - In this handout photo provided by the Pennsylvania State Police, fugitive Danelo Cavalcante is taken into custody on September 13, 2023 by the Pennsylvania State Police in Pennsylvania. Cavalcante had been on the run since escaping from the Chester County Prison on August 31. He was captured in a wooded area about 15 miles north of the prison. (Photo by Pennsylvania State Police via Getty Images) (Handout/Pennsylvania State Police via Ge)

Victim’s family ‘can now finally sleep again,’ DA says

Update 10:40 a.m. EDT Sept. 13: Chester County District Attorney Deb Ryan said authorities called the family of Deborah Brandao, the woman Cavalcante was convicted of murdering in 2021, after he was captured Wednesday morning following his escape from Chester County Prison.

Ryan said the family has “been living in a complete nightmare.”

“They are so grateful to the men and women who helped with this capture. They can now finally sleep again,” she said.

Cavalcante was convicted last month of stabbing Brandao to death in front of her children, 7 and 3, in April 2021, KYW-TV reported. Brandao was Cavalcante’s ex-girlfriend.

Police: Cavalcante’s sister tried to help him

Update 10:35 a.m. EDT Sept. 13: Pennsylvania State Police Lt. Col. George Bivens said Cavalcante’s sister tried to assist him after he escaped from Chester County Prison on Aug. 31.

“There were people who were intent and intended to assist him,” Bivens said Wednesday at a news conference. “We have been successful — to the best of my knowledge — we have been successful in preventing that assistance from reaching him.”

Cavalcante to be transferred to state correctional facility

Update 10:25 a.m. EDT Sept. 13: Authorities transported Cavalcante to the Pennsylvania State Police station in Avondale for processing after he was apprehended by authorities on Wednesday morning.

“He will ultimately be transferred to a state correctional institution, where he will be housed and begin to serve his life sentence,” Lt. Col. George Bivens said at a news conference.

Days before his escape from Chester County Prison on Aug. 31, Cavalcante was sentenced to life in prison without parole after he was convicted of murdering his ex-girlfriend in 2021.

Aircraft found heat signature, leading to Cavalcante’s arrest

Update 10:18 a.m. EDT Sept. 13: An aircraft used in the search for Cavalcante caught a heat signature early on Wednesday, helping law enforcement to focus their efforts and leading to the fugitive’s arrest, Pennsylvania State Police Lt. Col. George Bivens said.

Authorities searched a home within their earlier established search perimeter on Tuesday night after a burglar alarm went off, but they did not find Cavalcante or anyone else in the area. Around 1 a.m., authorities began to track a heat signal in the area, though it was lost when a storm rolled in, forcing the aircraft to leave the area.

Later on, after crews were able to continue their searches, they found Cavalcante.

“They were able to move in very quietly,” Bivens said. “They had the element of surprise. Cavalcante did not realize he was surrounded until that had occurred.”

Bivens said Cavalcante tried to evade authorities, crawling through thick underbrush with the rifle he had stolen from an open garage on Monday with him. A K-9 was sent in and helped to capture him, Bivens said.

“He continued to resist but was forcibly taken into custody,” he added. “No one was injured as a result of that.”

Cavalcante suffered a bite that Bivens described as “minor” and was checked for injuries at the scene.

Cavalcante captured just after 8 a.m.

Update 10 a.m. EDT Sept. 13: Gov. Josh Shapiro said authorities captured Cavalcante shortly after 8 a.m. without injuries.

Police told people in Chester County to be vigilant and lock their doors after Cavalcante stole a .22-caliber rifle from an open garage on Monday night. Shapiro said that during the apprehension of Cavalcante on Wednesday morning, no shots were fired.

Original report: Video showed several law enforcement officials surrounding Cavalcante as he stood with his hands behind his back on Wednesday morning. He appeared to be wearing a sweatshirt and dark pants. Earlier, officials said he was last seen wearing blue pants and no shirt.

Hundreds of law enforcement officials searched for Cavalcante, 34, after he escaped from the exercise yard at Chester County Prison on Aug. 31.

He was convicted last month of murdering his ex-girlfriend, who was stabbed to death in April 2021, and sentenced to life without parole. Authorities said he was also wanted for homicide in his home country of Brazil.

On Tuesday, police said they believed Cavalcante was within a perimeter set up in the South Coventry Township area. He had been spotted Monday night by a motorist, leading police to find his prison-issued shoes, and again later in the day when he stole a .22-caliber rifle from an open garage.

Authorities had warned that he was armed and extremely dangerous.

Check back for more on this developing story.

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