A recently-convicted murderer sentenced to life in prison escaped from a Pennsylvania lockup last week by “crab walking” and scaling a wall, prompting a massive manhunt by local and federal law enforcement.
Danelo Cavalcante, a prisoner at Chester County Prison near Philadelphia broke out on August 31, according to CNN, and is in the country illegally.
According to NPR, to make his escape, Cavalcante scaled a wall, climbed over a razor wire fence, and jumped from a roof. Prison security videos show Cavalcante “crab walking” up two brick walls to make his escape.
A guard manning the watchtower during Cavalcante’s escape has been put on leave.
Cavalcante is the second inmate to escape the prison this year. Another inmate, Igor Bolte, escaped from the same prison twice, once in 2019 and earlier this year, according to The New York Times.
According to an emergency statement by Pennsylvania authorities: “The subject, Danelo Cavalcante, is a 34 year old, 5 foot, 120 pound, Hispanic male. The subject was last seen wearing a white t-shirt, grey shorts with white sneakers. If you see him, do not approach and call 9-1-1 immediately. He is convicted of homicide and presumed extremely dangerous.”
Massive manhunt underway
A local resident in Pocopson, Pennsylvania, told the media that he believed Cavalante broke into his home, stealing some snacks and a white hat. Since his escape, Cavalcante has been spotted 8 times as of Sept 8. Police helicopters flying over the search area blared out a recording of Cavalcante’s mother pleading with him in Portuguese to turn himself in.
As of September 8, agencies involved in the manhunt include the Pennsylvania State Police, FBI and U.S. Customs and Border Protection, in addition to local police agencies.
He is also wanted for a murder in Brazil, according to the U.S. Marshall’s Service and Fox News.
The gruesome murder
Cavalcante was convicted of murdering his ex-girlfriend and was sentenced to life in prison. He was awaiting transfer to a state prison when he escaped.
According to the Chester County District Attorney’s office, he stabbed his ex-girlfriend 38 times in front of her 4-year-old and 7-year-old children, cutting her heart, kidney, lungs, and liver. As a result, she bled to death.
The family of Cavalcante’s ex-girlfriend was “holed up and terrified” and has been barricaded inside their home, District Attorney Deborah Ryan told USA Today.
Prison escapes in U.S. are on a downward trend
Prison escapes in the U.S. have declined around 50% since 2000, according to Statista.
In 2000, there were 5,168 escapes from federal and state prisons in the U.S. By 2019, that number dropped to 2,231.
The number was much higher years ago. In 1984, for instance, there were 7,903 escapes from state and federal prisons. Not all escapees were returned to prison. In 1984, that figure hovered around 80 percent, according to the Corrections Compendium journal published by the U.S. Department of Justice.