Danelo Cavalcante update: Neighbors' anxiety, frustration grows as manhunt nears 2 weeks
CHESTER COUNTY (CBS) -- The search for Danelo Cavalcante has taken some dramatic twists and turns. CBS Philadelphia has been on the scene in Chester County since the very beginning of the manhunt. We've been talking with residents for over 13 days now who have experienced a mix of emotions as the manhunt nears its two-week mark.
The escaped prisoner now has a .22 caliber rifle at his side, according to police. The long gun is equipped with a scope and flashlight. Investigators say Cavalcante took the weapon from an open garage along Coventreeville Road close to where they had been searching in Glenmoore.
Police say the homeowner confronted the wanted murderer, drew his own pistol and fired several shots at Cavalcante. Police say they believe Cavalcante made it away uninjured. The homeowner was also not hurt. Police also say Cavalcante ditched some clothing at the edge of the driveway leading to that property.
About two hours earlier, a driver spotted a man matching Cavalcante's description along Fairview Road. The driver doubled back, but police say Cavalcante was gone. They did locate footprints and later found he had discarded his prison-issued shoes.
Police believe Cavalcante later took work boots from Jim Varnes, a resident who lives on Fairview Road in the area police are searching for the convicted killer.
Varnes and his wife were watching TV Monday evening when they noticed police were roaming around their property.
"We had people, cops in the driveway with flashlights and stuff. Then we saw SWAT teams there," Varnes said. "It was a little frightening."
State police say officers descended on the area after someone reported a man crouching in a field. Varnes says police told him they found a pair of shoes on his property – but it was Jim's wife who made an important discovery.
"We walk out on the back porch and, my wife did actually, she's the one that found my boots were missing," he said.
Investigators now believe those were the boots that were stolen by Cavalcante, all while the couple was watching TV, not even 20 feet away.
Varnes says it's scary to know a convicted killer was so close to home. For the last 20-plus hours, it's been a nonstop police presence around them.
Other residents who live in this pocket of Chester County say their lives have been turned upside down as well.
"It's touch and go you wake up in the middle of the night thinking 'Why'd I wake up.' It's anxiety, you know? It's all good. We'll get through it," one resident said early Tuesday morning.
The escapee has residents hypervigilant and on edge as they all wait for the same answer from law enforcement.
Another resident we spoke with feels like the search updates take one step forward and three steps back.
"This is really unusual. It seems like every update, it felt like it was getting closer and closer. And it was like it can't be real, it can't be happening here," a man said.
As of Tuesday morning, police activity from the manhunt closed down heavily used highways making travel nearly impossible. A true nightmare for commuters.
"Today I can't get to work, I can't go down 23 because they have that shut down at 100. I tried to go across 113 or 401 and I can't get gas because now their powers out. So this is getting tough." Mike Fulton said. "I can't even get from my house in Elverson to Phoenixville.
Parents are stressed as schools are closing down and they can't even take their children to school while Cavalcante is still at large.
RELATED: Escaped prisoner Danelo Cavalcante manhunt closes schools, residents urged to lock doors
"I can't take my kids to school right now. Everything's closed and I just got done talking to the school district in Boyertown and they're saying that it's probably safe to just take my kids back home and stuff for right now," Eric McCormick said.
McCormick said it was school picture day for his kids and they were upset as they had gotten all dressed up for the occasion.
The heavy law enforcement presence is growing in number as the days pass by in the manhunt.
"I had to go all the way around and truthfully, I never seen so many state police at once so it's very unsettling and very uncomfortable. I really hope that today is the day they finally catch him," Braylee Laverty said.
Another resident who lives in the new search perimeter, Alex Templin, a soon-to-be mother, is facing a conflict she never thought she'd face.
Her due date is in 11 days and she's scared Cavalcante will still be on the loose by then.
"I don't want to bring a kid back into this area like this," Templin said.
The common denominator among all residents though is their hope that the wait will soon be over and Cavalcante will be caught.
"I would just love to see all of this come to a close," Tom Peacock said.
