Convicted Murderer Caught After Nearly Two Weeks After Escaping Prison

After breaking up with Deborah Brando, 33, in 2021, Danelo Cavalcante stabbed her 38 times in front of their young children. Although he was given a life sentence, on August 31 he managed to break out of Chester County Prison in Pennsylvania. After a two-week manhunt that captivated the country, the murderer has been apprehended.

On Wednesday, September 13, a radio transmission informed law authorities in Chester County that Cavalcante had been taken into custody. After crab walking up a prison wall, he escaped through razor wire and disappeared into the woods. Police were able to follow his movements for the entire two weeks he was on the run thanks to public surveillance equipment.

Authorities warned locals about the armed ex-murderer the day before they finally apprehended him. A homeowner’s firearm had purportedly been stolen by him from their garage. After the fugitive triggered a burglar alarm, authorities called off the manhunt.

Pennsylvania State Police Lt. Col. George Bivens called a press conference to detail the arrest. The cops widened the search area after sounding the alert. They employed a plane equipped with infrared imaging equipment from the US Food and Drug Administration to track him down in the woods. Lightning forced them to make an emergency landing once they discovered his heat signature. After the storm passed, the plane returned to the skies and located him once more.

This allowed the tactical forces to effectively encircle Cavalcante. They were able to sneak in,” Bivens stated. They managed to pull off a surprising move. The police swooped in quickly and took action. The fugitive attempted to flee, but the police let loose Yoda, a 4-year-old Belgian Malinois, who eventually captured him.

Yoda bit Cavalcante on the scalp, according to Deputy US Marshal Robert Clark, who spoke to The Associated Press. His bloodied face was captured in a later photograph. The dog bit him on the thigh, and the fugitive turned himself in.