Danelo Cavalcante, fugitive changes appearance after escape from prison.Photo:PA State Police/ Facebook
PA State Police/ Facebook
Convicted murderer and prison escapee Danelo Cavalcante is now considered armed with a 22-caliber rifle and ammunition after he stole it from an owner in Pottstown, Pa., according to local authorities.
The owner of the rifleshot several times at Cavalcante, but authorities have “no reason to believe” that he was injured in the shooting, Pennsylvania State Police Lt. Col. George Bivenssaid in a press conferenceon Tuesday morning.
The 34-year-old, who was convicted of murdering his ex-girlfriend in 2021, was spotted at least twice on Monday evening, and belongings believed to be his were found in the vicinity, according to authorities.
The area was already filled with troopers and the border patrol tactical team, who then found footprints in the mud “identical to prison shoes” that Cavalcante is known to be wearing, Bivens added. Cavalcante’s shoes were soon located in the vicinity, just around the same time that another resident in the area said her boots were stolen from her porch.
The homeowner said he spotted a “short Hispanic male,” wearing dark pants and no shirt, enter the garage, and grab the rifle close to him.
The homeowner grabbed a pistol and fired several shots at him as he fled with the rifle. Bivens told a reporter that Cavalcante likely did not expect to run into the homeowner and was possibly looking to hide in the garage.
Bivens urged residents in the area to stay vigilant and keep their doors locked. The schools on Tuesday were closed in the Owen J. Roberts School District, which is in northern Chester County.
On Sunday, local authorities said Cavalcante wasspotted a couple of timesover the weekend as he tried to reach out to former associates who alerted authorities. A doorbell video captured his attempt, and revealed that he had changed his appearance.
At Tuesday’s press conference, Bivens said the fugitive is “beyond assistance” at this point.
“He has killed two people previously,” Bivens added. “I would suspect he is desperate enough to use that weapon.”
source: people.com
