Fugitive prisoner Danelo Cavalcante has been arrested after a two-week-long search. Cavalcante, 34, a convicted killer, was arrested on Wednesday, police said. The bit-sized prisoner who escaped from the Chester County Prison by shimmying his body along two walls that were roughly five feet apart had been on the lam since August 31.
Pennsylvania state police said they will provide more details of the capture at 9:30 a.m. The convicted murderer was waiting to be transferred to a state prison when he escaped from the facility some 40 miles west of Philadelphia. His escape kicked off a desperate manhunt as he repeatedly evaded police and changed his appearance.
Arrested at Last
"A press conference announcing details of THE CAPTURE of Danelo Cavalcante is scheduled for 9:30am at the Po-Mar-Lin Fire company, 36 Firehouse Drive, Kennett Square, PA," Pennsylvania State Police said in a social media post.
Cavalcante was arrested in a wooded area inside the new police perimeter that was set up this week.
Video footage revealed the double murder suspect donning a gray Philadelphia Eagles sweatshirt. Officers appeared to have cut off the sweatshirt, likely as part of a search for hidden weapons.
According to KYW-TV, investigators took photographs of his tattoos after removing his shirt to verify his identity.
CNN reported that local residents were notified of his arrest through a reverse 911 call.
Cavalcante managed to break out of the prison by meandering to an isolated section of the yard. He scaled a wall and crossed over razor wire before leaping from a rooftop to evade the guards.
The search for him intensified significantly on Monday night and Tuesday morning when a homeowner reported firing seven shots at a person who resembled Cavalcante.
This man had broken into the homeowner's residence in East Nantmeal Township and had taken a .22 rifle from the premises.
At the time of his arrest, officials confirmed that Cavalcante was still in possession of the .22 rifle.
End of an Extensive Manhant
The search for Cavalcante intensified on Monday night and into Tuesday morning when a homeowner reported discharging seven shots at an individual who resembled Cavalcante. The man, believed to be Cavalcante, had forcibly entered the home in East Nantmeal Township.
Following this confirmed sighting, investigators converged on the scene and found a pair of shoes that they suspect may be linked to Cavalcante, as reported by local sources.
On Tuesday, SWAT officers, accompanied by armored trucks in the presence of hundreds of officers, conducted an extensive search of the neighborhood. This intensified search effort was prompted by a helicopter sighting of the dangerous escapee in South Coventry Township.
Two state police helicopters remained in the vicinity of the French Creek Elementary School area for a significant portion of the morning. This location was close to where a homeowner had reported firing shots at the escaped murderer.
Authorities had granted state police the authority to use lethal force if the violent felon did not surrender, as they believed he was armed.
The Pennsylvania State Police made a reverse 911 call to residents of South Coventry, West Vincent, and East Nantmeal townships, urging them to take precautions. The emergency alert advised locals to lock their doors and windows, secure their vehicles, and stay indoors.
In related news, an unidentified correctional officer with 18 years of experience, who was on duty at the observation tower when Cavalcante escaped, was terminated on Thursday, a spokesperson from Chester County said.
