(NewsNation) — As the nation collectively breathes a sigh of relief over the recapture of escaped killer Danelo Cavalcante, one individual who knows him in a way few others do has finally broken his silence.
Franco Rosa, Cavalcante’s former roommate, said he was too scared to speak out until now.
Rosa and Cavalcante were roommates for four months, up until the tragic day before Cavalcante killed his former girlfriend in April 2021.
In an exclusive interview with “Elizabeth Vargas Reports,” Rosa recounted the intense anxiety he and his family endured as they learned of Cavalcante’s escape from prison and discussed the fear he felt during the 14 days Cavalcante managed to elude law enforcement.
“It was insane,” Rosa said, “At first I couldn’t believe he escaped prison, not here in America, like where we think it is the safest place in the world. And then afterward, like okay, is going to be tough for the next few hours, maybe by the next day. And it wasn’t happening.”
Over the weekend, authorities announced Cavalcante had apparently slipped out of the search area and changed his appearance.
“I got really anxious,” Rosa said.
Rosa described his growing anxiety as news emerged that Cavalcante was moving closer to his location.
“I don’t know what he’s capable of,” he said. “I don’t know if he’s gonna try to hurt someone. I originally thought he was trying to go west, and then to the border, like the Mexico border.”
Quickly taking action to protect himself and his family, Rosa said contacted the local police as soon as he learned of Cavalcante’s escape.
“I called the police and told them, ‘Hey, I’m his former roommate. Can you guys make sure he’s not coming this way? I want to make sure I’m safe.’ They came right away,” he said.
As Cavalcante drew closer to Rosa’s home, the police presence was increased.
“From Saturday to Sunday, I was going to call the police again, but they showed up before I called them,” Rosa said.
Rosa described Cavalcante as “quiet” and “shy.” He noted Cavalcante would avoid discussing personal matters and quickly change the topic if questions about his life in Brazil were raised.
“If you asked about him, he would try to start a different conversation,” Rosa recalled.
Rosa said he was shocked when he learned of Cavalcante’s previous murder in Brazil.
“I had no idea he will be able to do any of this,” he admitted “I didn’t suspect him at all. Even today, I’m like, really surprised that he did all of this. When I found out that he killed his ex, I was in like shock. I was like, ‘Wow, I was living with someone who was able to kill someone.'”
Rosa was uncertain about claims Cavalcante had survival skills that assisted in him avoiding capture.
“He never mentioned anything about training survival skills,” he stated. “In Brazil, there are a lot of trees with fruits on top, like really high trees. And maybe he did climb those trees when he was a teenager, you know, so maybe he knows how to do that stuff.”