Danelo Souza Cavalcante is a Brazilian national who escaped from a Pennsylvania prison on August 31, 2023, after being convicted of murdering his ex-girlfriend in front of her two children. He is also wanted for another homicide in Brazil in 2017.
He is considered extremely dangerous and has eluded hundreds of police officers for more than a week. Here is a summary of what we know about him and the ongoing manhunt:
Cavalcante, 34, came to the US illegally after fleeing from Puerto Rico, where he had travelled to after allegedly shooting a man in Brazil over a car repair debt.
He met Deborah Brandão, another Brazilian living in Pennsylvania, and started a relationship with her. He was abusive and jealous, and Brandão filed a protection order against him in December 20205.
On April 18, 2021, he stabbed Brandão 38 times in her home, killing her in front of her two children, aged four and seven. He then fled the scene and was arrested in Virginia several hours later. He was trying to escape to Mexico and then to Brazil.
On August 24, 2021, he was sentenced to life in prison for Brandão’s murder. A week later, he escaped from Chester County Prison by climbing onto the roof and running away. A surveillance video showed him scaling the prison walls.
Residents were on edge but comforted by the police presence.
“I’ve never felt more scared and more safe at the same time. It’s a really strange feeling,” Jennie Brown, whose neighborhood is about 1.5 miles (2.4 kilometers) from the jail, told AP.
“Many neighbors had a police officer on their deck with a machine gun while they slept,” said Brown, 53, who is coordinating donations of water and other supplies for the searchers.
Since then, he has been spotted several times in Chester County, mostly at night. He has been seen wearing dark clothing and carrying a backpack. He may have access to weapons and vehicles1.
Police have set up a perimeter around the area where he was last seen and have deployed helicopters, drones, dogs, and SWAT teams to search for him. They have also alerted the public and offered a $10,000 reward for information leading to his arrest.
Two school districts have canceled classes amid the search. Longwood Gardens, a popular tourist attraction, has also closed until further notice. Residents have been advised to lock their doors, stay inside, and check their security cameras.
Cavalcante is about 5 feet tall with long, curly black hair and brown eyes. Anyone who sees him should call 911 immediately and not approach him. Authorities hope to capture him soon and bring him to justice for his crimes.
