Convicted Killer Captured by U.S. Border Patrol Team After Daring Jail Escape
Danelo Cavalcante, a convicted killer who made a daring escape from a Pennsylvania jail, had a bold plan to carjack someone and make a run for Canada or Puerto Rico as law enforcement closed in on him. However, his escape didn’t go as planned, and he was captured by a U.S. Customs and Border Protection tactical team.
Cavalcante, 34, was apprehended on Wednesday morning by the border patrol team, and during his capture, he was bitten on the leg by Yoda, a 4-year-old Belgian Malinois search dog. He was armed with a stolen rifle at the time.
According to Deputy U.S. Marshal Robert Clark, Cavalcante explained, “He said the law enforcement presence in this perimeter was becoming too intense, and that he felt that he needed to get out of the area.”
Cavalcante’s escape saga began on August 31 when he scaled a prison wall topped with razor wire and jumped from the roof. For the first three days on the run, he survived by drinking creek water and stealing watermelons from a farm, using his head to crack them open because he had no other means to open them.
During his escape, Cavalcante would stay hidden for days at a time and move primarily at night, often concealing himself in thick foliage, narrowly avoiding authorities on multiple occasions. He went to great lengths to cover his tracks, including hiding his feces with leaves to evade the hundreds of law enforcement agents searching for him.
Pennsylvania State Police Lt. Col. George Bivens noted, “I don’t know that he was particularly skilled. He was desperate. You have an individual whose choice is go back to prison and spend the rest of your life in a place you don’t want to be, or continue to try and evade capture. He chose to evade capture.”
Cavalcante’s escape put the surrounding community on edge, particularly when he allegedly broke into homes to steal supplies. On the day of his capture, he was seen arriving at a jail in Avondale, Pennsylvania, handcuffed and wearing a hospital gown. He will be transferred to prison for the 2021 killing of his former girlfriend, Deborah Brando.
Deborah Brando’s discovery of Cavalcante’s potential involvement in a 2017 murder in Brazil ultimately led to her tragic death.
In the end, Cavalcante’s daring escape and subsequent capture brought a dramatic chapter to a close, leaving the community relieved that he is back in custody.