Escaped murderer on the loose, evades search, steals van, seeks ex-co-workers.
Escaped Murderer Evades Capture, Changes Appearance, and Steals Dairy Delivery Van
PHOENIXVILLE, Pa.—Authorities say an escaped murderer who has eluded capture since breaking out of a southeastern Pennsylvania prison a week and a half ago slipped out of the search area, changed his appearance, stole a dairy delivery van, abandoning it miles away and remained at large.
Lt. Col. George Bivens of the Pennsylvania State Police said Sunday that Danelo Souza Cavalcante stole the unlocked van which had the keys inside sometime Saturday night about three-quarters of a mile from the northern perimeter of the search area where hundreds of law enforcement officers had been searching for him.
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.”
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The theft wasn’t noticed for hours, and in the meantime Mr. Cavalcante, 34, traveled more than 20 miles northeast to East Pikeland Township and Phoenixville. Shortly before 10 p.m. Saturday he went to an East Pikeland Township home of a person he had worked with several years ago and asked to meet with him, police said.
The homeowner, who was at dinner with his family and didn’t respond, called police after returning home and reviewing his doorbell video. Shortly after 10 p.m. Saturday, police said, Mr. Cavalcante went to the Phoenixville area home of another former work associate, who wasn’t home, police said.
Doorbell video images showed Mr. Cavalcante to be now clean-shaven and wearing a yellow or green hooded sweatshirt, black baseball cap, green prison pants and white shoes, police said. The stolen van was found at 10:40 a.m. Sunday in a field behind a barn in East Nantmeal Township, about 15 miles west of Phoenixville.
Mr. Bivens said he believed Mr. Cavalcante abandoned the vehicle at least in part because it was low on fuel. While law enforcement was searching the immediate area for any signs of him authorities were concerned that he would attempt to obtain another vehicle or had already done so.
“I do not have a report of a stolen vehicle; I anticipate that we will,” he said.
Mr. Bivens expressed confidence, how that the fugitive would eventually be recaptured, vowing to “aggressively continue” the search with the aid of federal, state, county and local resources.
“This is a minor setback,” he said. “We’ll get him, it’s a matter of time”
Mr. Cavalcante, 34, 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’s wanted in a killing in his home country of Brazil.
Police on Saturday had reported two more confirmed sightings of Mr. Cavalcante within the search area around the Longwood Gardens botanical park, the center of the search in recent days. Mr. Bivens said Friday that about 400 personnel were taking part in the search, including tactical teams, tracking dogs, and officers on horseback as well as aircraft.
Despite the massive searches, Mr. Bivens said the area had some underground tunnels and “very large drainage ditches” that were impossible to secure completely. Police had been planning to u
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