Two school districts outside Philadelphia are closed for a second day Wednesday as a manhunt for a convicted murderer who escaped from prison continues.
Kennett Consolidated School District and Unionville-Chadds Ford School District canceled classes after a trail camera Monday night captured images of 34-year-old Danelo Cavalcante wandering the property of Longwood Gardens, a well-known botanical garden south of where authorities had been searching for him.
Both districts said on their websites that some of their schools are inside of the area where police are searching. “This is a difficult scenario to navigate and we appreciate your patience as we try to keep up with events as they unfold,” the Unionville-Chadds district posted.
School officials quickly decided not to hold classes Tuesday morning after police notified them that Cavalcante was spotted nearby the night before, said George Bivens, Pennsylvania State Police deputy commissioner of operations. About 200 to 250 personnel are searching the area about 30 miles west of Philadelphia.
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“We squeezed him hard enough over a period of a few days and he was not able to get any relief and managed to find a place to get out,” Bivens said at a news conference Tuesday morning. “Obviously, I wish we would have been able to capture him without him getting through that perimeter, but it is also not shocking. It’s dark, it’s a large area. Not to make excuses, it’s just difficult terrain.”
The search in Chester Co. for escapee Danelo Cavalcante continues this morning. These photos of him were captured on a trail-cam on the property of Longwood Gardens last night. We’re asking the public to call 911 if he’s spotted or to report any suspicious activity right away. pic.twitter.com/mz9S7Z1nae
— PA State Police (@PAStatePolice) September 5, 2023Bivens declined to say how Cavalcante broke out of the prison, citing an ongoing investigation. But he did say authorities have conducted multiple interviews.
Cavalcante broke out of the Chester County Prison on Thursday, roughly a week after he was sentenced to life in prison without parole for killing his 33-year-old ex-girlfriend Deborah Brandao. He stabbed Brandao nearly 40 times in front of her two children, ages 4 and 7, in August 2021 before fleeing the scene, according to the district attorney’s office. He was arrested after being tracked to Virginia.
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Cavalcante had a history of domestic violence, prosecutors said, and stabbed Brandao after she learned he had an open warrant for a 2017 murder that occurred in Brazil, which is where Cavalcante was born. Detectives determined Cavalcante killed her after she threatened to expose him to the police, according to prosecutors.
correction
A previous version of this map incorrectly located the Chester State Prison instead of the Chester County Prison. The map has been updated.
Authorities describe Cavalcante as dangerous.
The trail camera at Longwood Gardens showed him wearing a backpack and a sling-style duffel bag with a hoodie. It isn’t clear how he got those supplies, Bivens said. Authorities are asking people in the area to lock their homes and vehicles so Cavalcante can’t obtain any other supplies.
“We pressure him to not allow him the luxury of rest,” Bivens said.
Authorities described Cavalcante as 5 feet tall and 120 pounds, with long black curly hair and brown eyes. There is a $10,000 reward for anyone with information leading to Cavalcante’s arrest, Bivens said. Anyone with information can call the tip line authorities set up at 610-344-6480.
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