Escaped Pa. inmate changed appearance, slipped out of search area: Police

CHESTER COUNTY, Pa. (NewsNation) — Authorities say an escaped murderer who has eluded capture since breaking out of a southeastern Pennsylvania prison a week and a half ago has apparently slipped out of the search area, changed his appearance and is now being sought in a stolen vehicle.

Pennsylvania State Police said in a statement Sunday morning that Danelo Souza Cavalcante was seen overnight near Phoenixville in northern Chester County, more than 20 miles northeast of the area that until now has been the focus of the search. Shortly before noon Sunday, however, they said Phoenixville residents may no longer see a large law enforcement presence since “investigative leads have emerged that indicate Cavalcante is no longer in that area.”

NewsNation correspondent Evan Lambert spoke to family of the people at the home Cavalcante visited Saturday night. They say they knew him from previous work they did together and immediately called 911 when the escapee asked for help.

“My family is afraid,” the person told Lambert.

They say they do not support what Cavalcante is doing and want him held accountable.

Cavalcante is now clean-shaven and wearing a yellow or green hooded sweatshirt, black baseball cap, green prison pants and white shoes, police said. He was driving a 2020 White Ford Transit van that has a refrigeration unit on the top and had been reported stolen by Baily’s Dairy and has Pennsylvania registration ZST8818.

Baily’s Dairy said on its Facebook page that the delivery van was stolen between 7 p.m. and 10 p.m. Saturday “while we were still here working.” The dairy said it was working with law enforcement to help the investigation and “we … are just as disappointed as everyone that he broke through the perimeter in Longwood.”

Police on Saturday reported two more confirmed sightings of the escaped murderer who has been on the run for more than a week in southeast Pennsylvania amid a search by hundreds of law enforcement officers.

Cavalcante escaped from the Chester County Prison while awaiting transfer to state prison on Aug. 31 after being sentenced to life for fatally stabbing his ex-girlfriend in 2021. Prosecutors say he wanted to stop her from telling police that he was wanted in a killing in his home country of Brazil.

Despite the immense resources dedicated to the search, Cavalcante has eluded capture, leaving residents in disbelief.

Ryan Drummond, a local resident whose family believes they had a close encounter with the fugitive, expressed the community’s frustration, saying, “It’s no shade on the police officers; they’re working hard. We just hope it’s over soon. Everyone in this community can’t wait to move past this.”

Authorities believe that Cavalcante broke into the home of Drummond’s relatives located just three miles from the jail where he was incarcerated last Friday.

Drummond recalled the harrowing experience, stating, “I flipped the light switches off three or four times, just so that he knew that I knew that he was downstairs. Then he flipped the light switch back. And that was kind of the acute moment of terror, like turned on my wife and said, ‘He’s downstairs, call 911.’”

Pennsylvania State Police have noted that Cavalcante’s ability to evade capture is partly due to his experience in traversing harsh jungle conditions.

The Associated Press reported on Friday that a prison tower guard was fired following Cavalcante’s escape.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.