Convicted murderer Danelo Cavalcante, who broke out of a Pennsylvania prison, was captured Wednesday after a manhunt of nearly two weeks. He was wearing an Eagles shirt and his face was covered in blood when he was seen being handcuffed by police and brought back to the van.
A video of the authorities cutting off his shirt, revealing his back tattoo before he was loaded onto the van went viral:
Also Read | Danelo Cavalcante caught after 2-week manhunt following Pennsylvania prison escape
Pennsylvania State Police Lt. Col. George Bivens said at a press conference that around 8 a.m. on Wednesday Calvacante was arrested after a heat signal was located west of Pennsylvania Route 100, north of Prizer Road, at 1 a.m. Law enforcement closed in on the area early Wednesday after waiting out a storm overnight.
“They had the element of surprise,” Bivens said. “Cavalcante did not realize he was surrounded until that had occurred.”
Cavalcante did try to escape arrest after crawling through thick underbrush with a rifle he had stolen from a homeowner earlier in the week, Bivens said. “BORTAC had a dog with them, they released the dog… the dog subdued him,” Bivens said. Cavalcante sustained a “minor” dog bite. It could be the reason behind the blood stains on his face.
Cavalcante was “forcibly” taken into custody as he continued to resist, he said.
Cavalcante escaped Chester County Prison on August 31. Just days before his escape, he was sentenced to life for stabbing his ex-girlfriend Deborah Brandao, 33, to death. Previously, he was also wanted for a 2017 murder in Brazil. Prosecutors believe he killed Brandao after she learned of the murder he conducted in Brazil and threatened to go to authorities.
