Outside Philadelphia, schools were closed and residents were advised to keep their doors locked for their safety, This guideline was carried out following the escape of a Brazilian murderer.
The murderer while escaping dodged gunfire to steal a rifle from a home. Officials have declared him ‘extremely dangerous’.
Avoiding police dogs, drones, helicopters, and special armed units, Danelo Cavalcante, who made a daring escape from Chester County Prison almost two weeks ago, has captured the dread and interest of Americans.
Around Bucktown, Pennsylvania, where specialised SWAT officers and armoured vehicles were also stationed, authorities erected roadblocks.
Despite the police’s inability to apprehend the convicted murderer, the Brazilian citizen has regularly been seen on home security tape and even on nature cameras installed to observe wildlife, turning his criminal activities into a sad reality TV programme.
The 34-year-old has had access to new clothing, food, a van that he later abandoned, and the ability to shave since scaling his prison wall on August 31.
According to Pennsylvania police spokesperson George Bivens, he increased the stakes on Monday night by sneaking into a residential garage near Bucktown and stealing a 22 calibre rifle with a scope and torch connected to the weapon.
The homeowner attacked the fugitive and fired a revolver at him, but it looked like he was hit and the fugitive managed to escape.
A week after receiving a life sentence for killing his fiancée by repeatedly stabbing her in front of her children in 2021, Cavalcante escaped from prison. According to US officials, he is also wanted for murder in Brazil.
Cavalcante’s mother, who resides in rural Brazil, said she wasn’t shocked that her son was able to elude capture because he did the same thing thereafter allegedly killing a guy.
Iracema Cavalcante described her son’s impoverished, rural background in the newspaper, saying “His training was his suffering.”
She also expressed her anguish about the prospect of him spending the rest of his life in prison in the United States, stating that “it’s better to die soon” rather than “go to a place and suffer and die in that place.”
Being only five feet, one and a half metres tall, Cavalcante is “considered armed and extremely dangerous,” according to Bivens.
The decision to close schools in the Oakland J. Robert school system was made early Tuesday, in addition to saturating the search zone, a large area west of Philadelphia, with warning messages.
“At this time, we are not evacuating homes. Residents are urged to exercise caution and lock their doors once more, Bivens said.
According to the police spokesman, there are about 500 cops searching the region, including tactical units with heavy weapons, although they are constrained by the terrain’s dense vegetation.
Bivens described Cavalcante as the “proverbial needle in the haystack” in an effort to counter accusations that the police have failed miserably in their manhunt.
Lundale Farm, which is located around 40 miles (64 kilometres) west of Philadelphia, was among the areas the helicopters flew over. Police were “walking through our property, walking through the woods,” said Becki Patterson, the organization’s executive director.
“Trees, creeks, bridges, and all kinds of corners (where) you could sneak around,” she claimed of the location.
The reward for information regarding Cavalcante’s whereabouts has increased by the police from $20,000 to $25,000.
The prisoner has been seen numerous times thus far; in some, he has been seen without a shirt, while in others, he is sporting a sweatshirt.
According to the police, Cavalcante modified his look by shaving off the moustache and dark beard that were visible on his original “wanted” poster.
Additionally, according to police, the escapee left behind a stolen 2020 White Ford Transit van that was allegedly taken from a West Chester dairy. Evidently, he had run out of petrol.
Last week, a video that demonstrated Cavalcante’s method of escape was made public by prison authorities.
