Investigators have released new information regarding Danelo Cavalcante’s time on the run. The convicted killer spent 14 days in the wild after escaping Chester County Prison. NBC10’s Lauren Mayk has the details on how the convict survived and how close he came to being captured on several occasions.
Convicted killer Danilo Cavalcante admitted to authorities that he survived two weeks in the wild by eating stolen watermelons from a farm and that he planned to use the rifle he stole to carjack someone to make his escape to Canada, according to Supervisory Deputy with U.S. Marshals Service Robert Clark.
Cavalcante admitted that he planned on getting out of the perimeter within the next 24 hours, Clark said.
He also revealed how he managed to elude authorities after escaping the Chester County Prison for so long in an interview after his arrest, Clark said. Among the things Cavalcante told them were that he hid his fecal matter and moved around mainly at night.
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A lot of what aided the escapee in evading police was the thick brush and hilly terrain of Chester County, as well as tunnels at nearby Longwood Gardens.
"It's not easy to find someone who doesn't want to be found in such a large area," Pennsylvania State Police Lt. Col. George Bivens said.
Bivens also said Cavalcante didn't follow the same pattern. He followed creek lines, tree lines and power lines. He moved late in the evening and used crimes of opportunity to help him evade police.
Authorities say he was able steal a backpack from a home that somehow had a razor in it, which allowed him to change his appearance.
But according to U.S. Marshals, Cavalcante said during an interview there were at least three times law enforcement almost stepped on him while he was hiding under debris.
"Don’t know that he was skilled, he was desperate and able to evade capture," Bivens said.
Cavalcante was apprehended Wednesday morning in South Coventry Township, Chester County after a manhunt that lasted nearly two weeks.
Police, state troopers and other law enforcement officials had established a perimeter in northern Chester County on Tuesday night.
Then, shortly after midnight on Wednesday, a burglar alarm went off at a home near Prizer Road in South Coventry Township within the perimeter.
An aircraft utilizing FLIR technology was also flying in the area. Around 1 a.m. Wednesday, the aircraft picked up a heat signal that investigators tracked west of PA Route 100, north of Prizer Road.
Tactical teams converged on the location and noticed the heat source was moving, Bivens said. At the same time, storms had moved into the area and the aircraft had to leave. The tactical teams remained however.
After the storm passed, tactical teams converged on the area where the heat source was located shortly after 8 a.m. Wednesday.
Then, a customs and border patrol team K9 named "Yoda" subdued Cavalcante while the authorities moved in on him.
None of the law enforcement officials were hurt in the process, but Cavalcante suffered a minor bite from Yoda, the K9.
Pictures from the scene show that he was captured while wearing what appeared to be a stolen Philadelphia Eagles sweatshirt.
During a press conference, Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro offered to help get the owner of the hoodie a new kelly green one.
A group of law enforcement officers went viral after they posed for a photo with the convicted killer moments after his capture while dressed in camouflage and tactical gear.
"I'm not bothered at all by the fact that they took a photograph of him in custody, " Bivens said in response to the photo. Meanwhile, a U.S. Marshals spokesperson confirmed that there were no marshals in the photo with Cavalcante.
The capture of Danilo Cavalcante
Following his arrest, Sarah Brandão, sister of Deborah Brandão -- Cavalcante's ex-girlfriend that he was convicted of killing -- said the family was grateful that he had been captured.
As of Wednesday night, it is still unknown where Danilo Cavalcante will serve his life sentence, the Department of Correction said.
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