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Danelo Cavalcante’s Daring Prison Escape Captured on CCTV

Newly released CCTV footage exposes the audacious escape of convicted murderer Danelo Cavalcante, who has been on the run for over a week. Cavalcante, originally from Brazil, was incarcerated for fatally shooting a man in 2017, allegedly due to a dispute over a vehicle repair debt.
Illegally residing in Pennsylvania, Cavalcante crossed paths with Deborah Brandão, another Brazilian native, and entered into a relationship with her. Brandão’s sister described Cavalcante as “extremely jealous” and noted his drastic transformation when under the influence of alcohol.
In April 2021, Cavalcante brutally stabbed Brandão 38 times in front of her two children. Consequently, he was sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole, but only weeks after receiving his sentence, he managed to escape.
The newly released CCTV footage shows Cavalcante executing a seemingly effortless escape. He is seen “crab-walking” up two walls, separated by a 5-foot hallway, effectively eluding his captors.
The victim’s sister expressed her family’s ongoing fear while Cavalcante remains at large. They are currently under police protection around the clock, barricaded inside their residence.
She explained, “We are safe with the police, but we are hoping that he will be found. At the moment, we are protecting ourselves as a family.”
Cavalcante utilized a ladder to access a less secure section of the prison walls for his escape. Authorities have initiated a manhunt but suspect that he has been traveling through woodlands during the night to evade detection.
Pennsylvania State Police have stated that Cavalcante may be struggling to navigate through the woods. His disappearance was initially noticed when inmates were brought inside from an exercise session at 9:35 am, prompting a lockdown and a headcount that confirmed his escape.
Due to his climbing abilities, Cavalcante has been dubbed a “spider.” Law enforcement agencies have deployed hundreds of officers in the hunt for him.
Pennsylvania State Police Lt. Col. George Bivens stated, “We pulled more people in through the night last night, some additional help from other agencies, from our own agency. We have got somewhere north of 350, close to 400 people working on this today as we speak.”
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Officials have offered a reward of $20,000 (£16,000) for any information leading to the capture of Danelo Cavalcante.