Danelo Cavalcante is a 34-year-old man who was convicted of first-degree murder in August 2023 for killing his ex-girlfriend, Deborah Brandao, in front of her children in 2021.
He was sentenced to life in prison but escaped from Chester County Prison in Pennsylvania on August 31, 2023.
Cavalcante’s escape sparked a manhunt by authorities, who have narrowed their search to a 2-mile wooded area.
The daughter of the woman killed by Cavalcante told police that he said he was going “to do something bad” to their lives.
Pennsylvania police have broadcasted a message from Cavalcante’s mother urging him to surrender, as authorities continue to search for him.
Cavalcante was possibly spotted again near Longwood Gardens.
How did Danelo Cavalcante get to the US?
Cavalcante originally came to the United States illegally after fleeing Brazil to Puerto Rico.
It is unclear how he managed to enter Puerto Rico, but he arrived on a boat into New York.
From there, he made his way to Pennsylvania, where he committed the crime that led to his imprisonment, per CNN.
Cavalcante escaped from prison in September 2023, and managed to slip past Pennsylvania authorities twice.
Prison breaks in the US
Prison escapes are a serious concern for law enforcement agencies in the United States.
While security measures have improved over the years, there have been several high-profile cases of prisoners escaping from prison in the US.
Here are some examples;
1. Alcatraz Escape
One of the most famous prison escapes in US history occurred in 1962 when three inmates escaped from Alcatraz Island, a maximum-security federal prison in San Francisco Bay.
The inmates used spoons to dig through the walls of their cells and made dummy heads to fool the guards during their escape.
Despite an extensive manhunt, the inmates were never found and are presumed to have drowned in the bay.
2. Texas Seven
In 2000, seven inmates escaped from the John B. Connally Unit, a maximum-security prison in Texas.
The inmates overpowered guards, stole their uniforms and weapons, and fled in a stolen prison truck.
They went on a crime spree, robbing a sporting goods store and killing a police officer before being captured a month later.
3. New York Escape
In 2015, two inmates escaped from the Clinton Correctional Facility, a maximum-security prison in upstate New York.
The inmates used power tools to cut through the walls of their cells and a steam pipe to tunnel their way out of the prison.
One of the inmates was killed by police during the manhunt, and the other was captured and sentenced to life in prison.
4. Florida Escape
In 2021, a group of inmates escaped from a jail in Florida by using a smuggled hacksaw blade to cut through a vent in their cell.
They then used sheets to climb down the side of the building and fled in a waiting getaway car.
All of the inmates were eventually captured and charged with escape.
These are just a few examples of high-profile prison escapes in the US.
While they are relatively rare, they highlight the need for continued vigilance and security measures in the nation’s prisons.
