September 10, 2023

Police share new photos of a clean-shaven Danelo Cavalcante as manhunt continues

The convict was reportedly spotted near Phoenixville on Saturday, ten days after he escaped from Chester County Prison

By John Paul Titlow
PhillyVoice Staff

PENNSYLVANIA STATE POLICE/X

Police shared new photos of escaped convicted Danelo Cavalcante on Sunday, ten days after he escaped from Chester County Prison. He was reportedly seen outside of Phoenixville on Saturday, September 9.

Police shared new photos of Danelo Cavalcante Sunday morning as the hunt for escaped convict entered its tenth day. Cavalcante was spotted near Phoenixville, Pennsylvania on Saturday night, police said. He is no longer believed to be in that area, according to an update from Pennsylvania State Police posted to social media early Sunday afternoon.

LATEST: Convicted murderer Danelo Cavalcante captured, ending the 13-day manhunt for escaped Chester County prisoner

The new images of Cavalcante show the convicted murderer with a clean-shaven appearance and wearing a green hooded sweatshirt and a baseball cap. Police said in a tweet that he was also wearing green prison pants and white shoes.

Cavalcante is also believed to be driving a stolen 2020 white Ford transit van with a refrigeration unit on top, police said. Authorities also shared a photo of the van on Sunday morning. The vehicle has a Pennsylvania license plate with the registration number ZST-8818. State Police Lt. Col. George Bivens said at a press conference on Sunday afternoon that the van was abandoned by Cavalcante and recovered by authorities on Sunday afternoon.

Phoenixville is about 25 miles away from Chester County Prison, where Cavalcante was being housed after being convicted of killing his girlfriend in front of her children in 2021. He was reportedly due to be transferred to a state prison to serve a life sentence for the killing.

The update on Cavalcante's appearance and potential whereabouts came ten days after he escaped Chester County Prison by crab-walking up a wall in the facility and then squeezing through razor wire to get onto the roof of the building. A video released earlier this week shows Cavalcante scaling the wall prior to escaping. It took prison personnel 45 minutes to notice the inmate was missing. A prison guard who was on duty at the time of Cavalcante's escape was reportedly fired on Thursday.

Earlier this week, Cavalcante was captured on a trail camera at Longwood Gardens, prompting the 1,100-acre botanical garden to close for several days. Schools in nearby Kennett Consolidated School District and Unionville-Chadds Ford School District also shut down as the manhunt for Cavalcante continued.

More than 400 people have been searching for Cavalcante, including local, state and federal law enforcement agencies. Authorities ask anyone with information on his whereabouts to dial 911 or call the tip line at 717-562-2987.

This story has been updated to include new information as events continue to unfold.

Updated photos of Cavalcante, reference the below post ⬇️ Dial 911 if seen or call the tip line at 717-562-2987 pic.twitter.com/HqVNGYV7Bf
— PA State Police (@PAStatePolice) September 10, 2023

@USMS_Philly and @PAStatePolice seek the public's assistance in locating a 2020 Ford Transit van. Investigators believe fugitive Danelo Calvalcante stole the van. There is damage on the left rear fender and a cooling unit on top. Anyone with info is asked to call 717-562-2987. pic.twitter.com/JoP7Z66kKo
— U.S. Marshals Service Philadelphia (@USMS_Philly) September 10, 2023