By Mike McGann, Editor, The Times @mikemcgannpa
Danelo Cavalcante seen earlier this week.
After a two-week manhunt, escaped murderer Danelo Cavalcante was taken into custody Wednesday morning by law enforcement officers in northern Chester County.
Cavalcante was captured just after 8 a.m. on Wednesday, after a hunt that started in the southern portion of the county when he escaped from Chester County Prison on Aug. 31.
A press conference to detail the capture is planned for Wednesday morning.
The Chester County Commissioners issued a statement Wednesday morning on the capture:
“The capture of Cavalcante ends the nightmare of the past two weeks, and we thank every single law enforcement official at the regional, state and federal level that was out in all weather conditions, all day and night – as well as everyone in the incident command center, our County Department of Emergency Services and County Sheriff’s Office – for their immense efforts.
“We thank our community partners, businesses and school districts for their support and cooperation – and the public for their help in providing tips to law enforcement during the manhunt.
“Chester County Prison officials have made some immediate changes to bolster security in the prison, have brought in security contractors to make permanent changes to the exercise yards, and are reviewing and – where needed – changing procedures for both security measures and communication to residents who live close to the prison.” issued by Chester County Commissioners Marian Moskowitz, Josh Maxwell and Michelle Kichline.
Cavalcante escaped from Chester County Prison on August 31, where he was being held after his conviction earlier in the month of the 2021 killing his girlfriend, Deborah Brandao, in front of her two young children. He was sentenced last month to life in prison and was awaiting reassignment to a state prison, pending the appeal of his sentence and conviction.
This is an evolving story, more updates to come.
