Escaped inmate Danelo Cavalcante has been captured following an intense two-week manhunt, Pennsylvania State Police announced on Wednesday.
A reverse 911 call was sent to area residents to convey the news of Cavalcante’s capture, stating, “The search for Danelo Cavalcante is over. The subject is now in custody.”
Authorities had been in pursuit of the escaped convict for two weeks. The manhunt had recently centered on South Coventry Township in Chester County, where police revealed that the 34-year-old fugitive was armed.
As a precautionary measure, schools were closed, and residents were alerted while the search was ongoing in the vicinity, approximately 20 miles north of the prison from which Cavalcante had escaped.
According to Pennsylvania State Police Lt. Col. George Bivens, Cavalcante was spotted without a shirt in a homeowner’s garage on Monday night. He swiftly entered the garage and took hold of a .22-caliber rifle.
During his escape, the homeowner fired his pistol, but there is no indication that the fugitive sustained any injuries, Bivens stated during a news conference.
“We consider him desperate. We consider him dangerous,” he said. “I would suspect that he’s desperate enough to use that weapon.”
This incident prompted a significant police presence in South Coventry Township, with residents receiving urgent reverse 911 calls instructing them to secure their homes and remain indoors due to Cavalcante’s armed status.
Approximately 500 law enforcement officers, including Pennsylvania State Police, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the FBI, and US Marshals, were actively involved in the extensive manhunt to locate and apprehend Cavalcante.