Danelo Cavalcante’s mother says he ‘had no choice’ as killer is armed: Latest updates

Jump to content Sign up to our newsletters Subscribe News Sports Voices Culture Lifestyle Travel Premium Close Danelo Cavalcante escape video The manhunt for convicted killer Danelo Cavalcante continues 12 days after his escape from Chester County Prison in Pennsylvania . The convict fled the facility days after he was sentenced to life for stabbing his ex-girlfriend Deborah Brandao, 33, to death. He is also wanted for a 2017 murder in Brazil . In an interview with The New York Times on Tuesday, Cavalcante’s mother Iracema Cavalcante defended her son’s actions, saying that he killed Brandao after she reportedly threatened to tell American authorities that he was being sought by Brazilian police. ‘Did it happen? It happened,’ Ms Cavalcante told the Times . ‘But it happened because of the stranglehold she put on him, the stance she took with him … It wasn’t femicide. He had to, he had no other choice.’ In the latest update, said the search is now centred on South Coventry Township, warning locals that the fugitive is armed and that they should ‘lock all doors and windows’. At a press conference on Tuesday morning, Police confirmed that Cavalcante stole a .22 calibre rifle from a home in East Nantmeal Township on Monday, whose owner fired seven shots at him as he fled. 1694583031 Authorities hunting for convicted murderer Danelo Cavalcante have said they’re hopeful their chances of capturing him will increase now that he has moved to an urban area. Over the weekend, Cavalcante managed to steal a van near a dairy farm in Longwood Gardens, in Popocson Township – where he had been hiding since his escape from Chester County Prison on 31 August. The fugitive drove the white 2020 Ford Transit van more than 20 miles to Phoenixville and unsuccessfully tried to get help from two former coworkers who were not home when Cavalcante showed up at their door. Read the full story here: ‘Before it was advantageous to Cavalcante while he was playing tactical hide and seek in the woods,’ US Marshalls supervising deputy Robert Clark said Maroosha Muzaffar 13 September 2023 06:30 1694581200 Danelo Cavalcante was sentenced to life behind bars for the April 2021 murder of Deborah Brandao. He broke free from jail days later, sparking an ongoing manhunt. The Independent’ s Faiza Saqib and Andrea Blanco report: Danelo Cavalcante was sentenced to life behind bars for the April 2021 murder of Deborah Brandao. He broke free from jail days later, sparking an ongoing manhunt, Faiza Saqib reports Andrea Blanco 13 September 2023 06:00 1694579431 Chester County residents are growing increasingly frustrated as police scramble to keep up with the ‘dangerous’ killer’s moves, writes Andrea Blanco: Chester County residents are growing increasingly frustrated as police scramble to keep up with the ‘dangerous’ killer’s moves, writes Andrea Blanco Maroosha Muzaffar 13 September 2023 05:30 1694577600 Dog the Bounty Hunter is considering joining the manhunt for escaped Danelo Cavalcante in Pennsylvania, according to sources close to the former reality TV star. For 12 days now, US Marshalls, FBI and SWAT teams and local and state police have led the search for Cavalcante in suburban Chester County. Cavalcante, a convicted murderer who is now armed, has managed to elude authorities and sneak nearly 30 miles past the perimeter of his initial hiding spot in Longwood Gardens in Pocopson Township. The Independent ‘s Andrea Blanco reports: Duane ‘Dog’ Chapman is said to have been keeping up with developments in the search for Cavalcante since his escape Andrea Blanco 13 September 2023 05:00 1694575831 Authorities have pushed back against heavy criticism over their manhunt for escaped murder convict Danelo Cavalcante. gave an update on the ongoing search for Cavalcante after it was revealed that the fugitive broke into a home in South Coventry Township on Monday night and stole a rifle. Since his escape from Chester County Prison on 31 August, Cavalcante has travelled more than 30 miles from his initial hiding spot in Longwood Gardens. US Marshalls, FBI, SWAT teams and local and state police have scrambled to keep up with Cavalcante’s moves, despite assertions by officials that the manhunt is ‘wearing him down.’ During a press conference on Tuesday morning, Lt Col George Bivens downplayed the fact that Cavalcante is now armed. Mr Bivens insisted that the initially established search perimeter was strong and no mistakes were made – a perimeter that had to be repeatedly expanded as Cavalcante kept sneaking past it, until it was dropped altogether on Monday. ‘We have considered him dangerous from the very start, it changes nothing,’ Mr Bivens told reporters. ‘We just now absolutely know that he has a weapon.’ ‘We have considered him dangerous from the very start, it changes nothing,’ Lt Col George bivens told reporters on Tuesday Maroosha Muzaffar 13 September 2023 04:30 1694574050 Authorities warned that an escaped murderer who has evaded capture in southeastern Pennsylvania for nearly two weeks was armed and urged residents Tuesday in the area where he was being pursued to lock up, secure vehicles and remain indoors. posted on X, the platform formerly known as Twitter, that the department was pursuing Danelo Souza Cavalcante in South Coventry Township. Police also asked that the public call 911 if Cavalcante is seen and not to approach him. At least one nearby school district announced early Tuesday that it would close all schools and offices for the day and another in the area planned to keep students indoors. Andrea Blanco 13 September 2023 04:00 1694570450 Police confirm escaped prisoner Danelo Cavalcante is ‘armed’ after stealing rifle from house Andrea Blanco 13 September 2023 03:00 1694566850 For more than twelve days, Cavalcante has eluded US Marshalls, SWAT and FBI teams, state police and several local law enforcement agencies. The reward offered for information that leads to Cavalcante’s capture has been increased to $25,000. Lt Col George Bivens said that Cavalcante is now armed and the concern remains that he could manage to steal another vehicle to move farther away from the East Nantmeal Township and South Coventry Township area. Andrea Blanco 13 September 2023 02:00 1694563250 provided an update on the ongoing search for the escaped killer as the search for Cavalcante entered its 12th. Lt Col George Bivens had previously said on Monday that the manhunt had moved from a containment-focused search to one where other investigative resources are being allocated across northern Chester County. Over the weekend, Cavalcante managed to steal a van near a dairy farm in Longwood Gardens, in Popocson Township – where he had been hiding since his escape from Chester County Prison on 31 August. The fugitive drove the white 2020 Ford Transit van more than 20 miles to Phoenixville and unsuccessfully tried to get help from two former coworkers who were not home when Cavalcante showed up at their door. The van was later found abandoned in a field behind a barn in East Nantmeal Township, where a ‘massive sweep’ was launched on Monday with the help of 600 law enforcement personnel. Then on Monday night, Cavalcante broke inside a garage in South Coventry Township and stole a .22 calibre rifle. A homeowner opened fire on Cavalcante but the fugitive is believed to have fled the scene uninjured. Mr Bivens said that police had faced challenges securing the perimeter due to several underground tunnels and ‘very large drainage ditches’ in wooded areas close to Longwood Gardens. US Marshals Service supervising deputy Robert Clark said he believed Cavalcante’s mobilisation to more urban East Nantmeal Township would work to the advantage of law enforcement looking for him. Andrea Blanco 13 September 2023 01:00 1694559650 Retired NYPD Sergeant Joseph Giacalone told Insider that it was only a matter of time for Pennsylvania authorities to capture Cavalcante. Mr Giacalone, an adjunct professor at New York’s John Jay College of Criminal Justice, told the outlet that the delay in arresting the fugitive was in great part due to the difficulty in securing the search perimeter. ‘This is like hide-and-go-seek, but at a massive level,’ Mr Giacalone said. ‘The terrain is very difficult … There’s plenty of places to hide, whether it’s the densely populated woods, the cornfields, the barns,’ as well as culverts and creeks. He added: ‘You can’t blame the cops – they’re pulling out all the stops.’ Andrea Blanco 13 September 2023 00:00 Prisoner Escape-Pennsylvania Please refresh the page or navigate to another page on the site to be automatically logged in Please refresh your browser to be logged in