Desperate and Dangerous: Convicted Murderer Evades Capture, Search Area Expanded

 Authorities have expanded the search area for Danelo Cavalcante, a convicted murderer who escaped from a suburban Philadelphia prison last week. Cavalcante, 34, has been spotted five times since his escape from Chester State Prison. The most recent sighting occurred at Longwood Gardens, where surveillance video captured him walking with a duffel bag, backpack, and hooded sweatshirt. This development has prompted officials to move the search area farther south, indicating that Cavalcante may have slipped through the original perimeter. The expanded search has caused two nearby school districts to cancel classes as a precaution, and residents have been urged to keep their homes and vehicles locked.

Authorities have also requested that residents check the homes of vacationing neighbors and be on the lookout for missing cars, bicycles, or any other mode of transportation Cavalcante could utilize. George Bivens, deputy commissioner of operations for the Pennsylvania State Police, emphasized that Cavalcante is desperate and unwilling to be apprehended. Officials have not disclosed the details of Cavalcante's escape, stating that it is currently under investigation. Cavalcante was serving a life sentence for the murder of his ex-girlfriend and escaped while awaiting transfer to a state prison.

Cavalcante is also wanted in Brazil for a 2017 killing and is considered extremely dangerous. Law enforcement officers have been deploying drones, helicopters, and dogs in their search efforts. They have also been broadcasting a message in Portuguese, recorded by Cavalcante's mother, urging him to surrender peacefully. The prison is located approximately 25 miles west of Philadelphia. This incident is not the first escape from a Pennsylvania correctional facility this year, with previous escapes occurring in Warren County and the Philadelphia Industrial Correction Center.