What was Danelo Cavalcante's endgame? Here's how he survived, what he planned to do, more
CHESTER COUNTY, Pa. (CBS) -- Danelo Cavalcante, the escaped prisoner who was captured Wednesday morning on day 14 of the manhunt in Chester County, planned to carjack someone and travel to Canada, Robert Clark, of the U.S. Marshals Service said.
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Speaking through a Portuguese interpreter after he was captured, Cavalcante told law enforcement the details of the escape that required hundreds of local, state and federal authorities to swarm rural Chester County for two weeks.
Cavalcante was found as he lay in a wooded area of South Coventry Township. Officials said a combination of thermal imaging, ground search and K-9s led to finding the convicted killer.
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The K-9 that found Cavalcante, a Belgian Malinois named Yoda, bit him and held him down until he was taken into custody.
A picture tweeted by the U.S. Marshals Service Philadelphia showed the heavily wooded area where Cavalcante was captured.
@USMS_Philly was proud to support the @PAStatePolice 2-week manhunt for Danelo Calvalcante. The U.S. Marshals Service provided investigative expertise and significant technical resources. Thank you to all the LE agencies and the community for supporting this operation. pic.twitter.com/QLfGMQUaIA
— U.S. Marshals Service Philadelphia (@USMS_Philly) September 13, 2023
Clark said that Cavalcante told authorities they almost stepped on him multiple times during the search while he hid in the brush and leaves.
Early in the search, Cavalcante was in the Longwood Gardens area in southern Chester County, but he did surveillance of the perimeter law enforcement set-up in order to escape, Clark said.
Police suspect that Cavalcante broke that perimeter through a drainage ditch or underground tunnel.
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During the move from the Longwood Gardens area to northern Chester County, Cavalcante stole a van, shaved his face and changed his clothes. Clark said he had a razor in his backpack when he was captured.
Cavalcante also told law enforcement he did surveillance on the home where he stole the .22 rifle, Clark said.
During that confrontation, police said a homeowner fired several shots at Cavalcante but he got away.
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Cavalcante was able to survive throughout the manhunt by stealing watermelon and drinking stream water, Clark said.
Cavalcante was recaptured wearing an Eagles hoodie and is currently being held at SCI Phoenix, a maximum security prison in Montgomery County, to serve his life sentence for killing his ex-girlfriend, Deborah Brandao, in 2021.