Danelo Cavalcante, the convicted assassin who made a brazen escape from Chester County Jail on Aug. 31, has been captured Wednesday, Sept. 13 after a manhunt lasting practically two weeks.
It was solely per week earlier on Aug. 22 that he was sentenced to life in jail within the brutal stabbing dying of his ex-girlfriend in entrance of her kids exterior their northern Chester County residence in 2021. The sentence got here simply days after a jury convicted him of first-degree homicide within the ghastly crime.
Right here’s the whole lot we find out about Cavalcante.
Is a local of Brazil
Cavalcante is a local of Brazil. At his sentencing listening to in his ex-girlfriend’s dying, his attorneys stated that he had grown up poor and had been a sufferer of abuse himself. He started associating with gang members and have become hooked on medicine and alcohol, they stated.
He speaks each Portuguese and English.
Is needed in Brazil on homicide expenses
Cavalcante is needed in Brazil for the homicide of a person who owed him cash. Police there stated he shot a person lifeless within the city of Figueriopolis, positioned within the northern state of Tocantinis, in November 2017, in accordance with the BBC.
The BBC reported that the killing stemmed from an “alleged debt associated to the restore of a automobile,” in accordance with police. He allegedly shot the person six occasions, stole his cellphone, after which fled the scene in a automobile, the BBC reported.
A warrant was issued for Cavalcante’s arrest in June 2018.
He got here to U.S. in 2019
After the homicide, Cavalcante got here to america illegally, fleeing to Puerto Rico in 2019. He ultimately settled in Schuylkill Township in Chester County.
Who was his ex-girlfriend?
Deborah Brandao, who was 33 years previous when she was killed, was additionally a local of Brazil. She and Cavalcante had been neighbors after they began courting, her sister Sarah informed CNN.
Sarah Brandao stated her sister got here to america together with her kids “as a result of right here the standard of life is healthier than in Brazil.”
“She needed to offer a greater life for each of them,” Sarah stated.
Deborah Brandao and Cavalcante dated for a few yr and a half, her sister informed CNN. The connection began out effectively, however over time he modified and have become extraordinarily jealous, Sarah stated.
“She stored saying that he was extraordinarily jealous – that when he drank, he turned a special individual; that he stored going by means of her cellphone,” Sarah informed CNN.
Brandao ultimately filed a Safety From Abuse order towards Cavalcante in December 2020 after he had pulled a knife on her, police stated. The PFA was nonetheless lively on the time of the homicide.
What are the small print of the homicide?
On April 18, 2021, Cavalcante drove from his residence in King of Prussia armed with a knife to Brandao’s residence in Schuylkill that she shared together with her kids, a 7-year-old woman and a 4-year-old boy. The household was exterior of the house within the 300 block of Pawling Highway when he pulled up in his automobile and started arguing with Brandao.
Sooner or later, he grabbed her by the hair, threw her to the bottom, and started stabbing her repeatedly. There have been 37 particular person wounds in her stomach, chest and throat, and he or she died her son, who was gathered within the arms of a neighbor who got here to assist.
Brandao’s daughter had run from the scene to the neighbor’s condominium, the place she screamed, “Assist me! Assist me! Assist me! He’s going to kill my mommy!”
Brandao was pronounced lifeless at Paoli Hospital.
What was the motive for the killing?
At his trial, prosecutors stated Cavalcante needed to “silence” Brandao, whom he had assaulted on at the very least one earlier event throughout their tumultuous relationship, from revealing his previous to authorities.
Brandao had discovered in regards to the homicide expenses he was dealing with in Brazil, and he or she had informed his household that she would take that data and “unfold it out to the police right here” if he didn’t go away her alone from additional abuse.
When she discovered he had hacked into her Instagram account to observe her within the spring of 2021, she stated she would hold her promise.
Pals helped him escape after the homicide
In accordance with testimony at Cavalcante’s trial, he fled the homicide scene in his automobile and known as a good friend, the person who lived together with his sister Eleni in Phoenixville.
“Meet me on the Wawa in Frazer,” he informed Francisco Lima.
Cavalcante informed him he stabbed his girlfriend. Lima didn’t ask why, and didn’t know if the girl was lifeless or alive, he stated on the witness stand. Lima obtained him water to assist clear his fingers, gave him his hooded sweatshirt to wipe up the blood, and accepted a bag with hundreds of {dollars} in money that he later gave to Cavalcante’s sister.
The pair then drove in separate vehicles to a storage facility, the place they met one other man, Michael Scahill, who stored a trailer there for his building enterprise. Scahill, who informed the jury he had been ingesting closely that day, didn’t contact police or take any actions to cease Cavalcante from fleeing.
“I used to be scared,” he stated in response to a query from District Legal professional Deb Ryan.
Lima and Scahill then went to Lima’s residence, the place they collected clear garments for Cavalcante, obtained his pretend Puerto Rican drivers’ license, and stopped to get him some meals from a close-by McDonald’s. Again on the storage items, they helped clear Cavalcante’s automobile, after which watched him drive away with an EZ Cross and a full tank of gasoline.
Cavalcante wouldn’t get far, being captured the day after the homicide in Virginia after authorities had been in a position to observe his actions by means of his cellphone knowledge.
How did he escape jail?
Cavalcante was being held at Chester County Jail after his sentencing for 30 days so he may converse together with his attorneys about whether or not he would file an attraction of his conviction earlier than being transferred to the state jail system.
He was in a position to escape a jail yard Aug. 31 by “crab strolling” up a wall and over razor wire, officers stated.
A corrections officer in an commentary tower who missed the escape has been fired. That officer has not recognized, however was employed on the jail in West Chester for 18 years.
There have been no guards strolling within the yard on the time of the escape.
A safety video of the escape exhibits Cavalcante, 34, standing in a passageway bracing his fingers towards one wall and his toes towards one other, then strolling his manner upward out of the digicam’s view.
Cavalcante escaped the identical manner as one other inmate in Could, and that the jail added the razor wire after the sooner escape.
Why wasn’t he deported after the homicide
Though his presence was reported to authorities after his arrest in April 2021, Chester County District Legal professional Deb Ryan stated she didn’t consider an immigration detainer had been filed for his deportation.
Usually, she stated, immigration instances usually are not introduced till after a defendant has accomplished their sentence, which in Cavalcante’s case, will probably be when he has died.
What can we find out about his sister?
Eleni Cavalcante was arrested by federal Immigration and Customs Enforcement, in accordance with Pennsylvania State Police Lt. Col. George Bivens, who’s been main the manhunt. Bivens stated she was arrested for staying previous her legally allowed interval of keep, and legislation enforcement had no motive to permit her to stay within the nation since she was not cooperating with the investigation.
Officers haven’t stated whether or not Eleni is suspected of serving to her brother whereas he’s been on the run.
What does he appear to be?
A brief and slight man, Cavalcante is 5 toes tall and weighs 120 kilos. On the time of his escape he had bushy hair and an unshaven face.
Nevertheless, a surveillance picture of him taken Sept. 9 proven he had modified his look and was now clean-shaven. On the time, he was carrying a inexperienced hoodie, however that was later found exterior a house the place he stole a .22 rifle the night time of Sept. 11.
He was additionally initially carrying his white prison-issued sneakers, however these had been additionally discovered discarded with the hoodie.
Cavalcante was most not too long ago seen in South Coventry Township, Chester County, shirtless and carrying blue pants, state police stated Sept. 12. He was carrying the stolen rifle and a flashlight.
Anybody who sees him ought to name 911 instantly. For common ideas or data, name (717) 562-2987.
The Related Press contributed to this report.
