Escaped Pennsylvania killer is now armed as mother says he ‘did not pose a threat to anyone’: Latest updates

Cavalcante’s mother Iracema Cavalcante said in an interview with The New York Times that she believes her son is better off dead than spending the rest of his life behind bars over the April 2021 murder of his former girlfriend Deborah Brandao.

“If it’s to go to a place to suffer and die in that place, it’s better to die soon,” Ms Cavalcante told the Times on Tuesday. “You don’t have to suffer so much.”

A homeowner reportedly opened fire on escaped prisoner Danelo Cavalcante after he broke into his home and stole a .22 caliber rifle.

A man fired seven times at Cavalcante after the convicted prisoner broke into his home in East Nantmeal on Monday night, FOX 29 reported.

Police confirmed the shooting at a press conference on Tuesday morning, saying Cavalcante is “armed and dangerous” and a search of the area near the home was fruitless.

Pennsylvania State Police said its search is now centred on South Coventry Township in Chester County, warning locals that the fugitive is armed and that they should “lock all doors and windows” as a precaution.

It comes after police responded to reports of gunshots in Coventryville Road in East Nantmeal Township on Monday night.

Philadelphia ABC station WPVI reported a homeowner shot at someone matching Cavalcante’s description.

Officers reportedly recovered the green hoodie and shoes the prisoner was pictured wearing over the weekend.

It’s been 12 days since murder convict Danelo Cavalcante escaped from a prison in northwestern Pennsylvania.

Cavalcante, 34, has not only eluded hundreds of US Marshalls, SWAT, FBI and state and local law enforcement officers — he has also managed to sneak past the established search perimeter time and time again and is now armed.

Over the weekend, the fugitive drove more than 25 miles from his initial hiding spot in Longwood Gardens after stealing a van that he then discarded in East Nantmeal Township. Then on Monday night, he broke inside a garage in South Coventry Township and stole a .22 rifle before fleeing the scene.

Residents of the suburban Pennsylvania county are growing increasingly frustrated as police scramble to keep up with Cavalcante’s moves.

Lt Col told CNN that there was no evidence suggesting Cavalcante had suffered injuries during a confrontation with a South Coventry Township homeowner who shot at the fugitive after he stole a .22 rifle.

“Throughout this, I’ve maintained a high level of confidence. I would hope that we’re able to get him in this perimeter. We’re going to search and I anticipate we will find him in there. All I can tell you is we will do our absolute best. We will capture him one way or another,” Mr Bivens said.

“There is no blood or anything on sight that leads us to believe that [the homeowner] wounded Cavalcante — it was just enough to force Cavalcante to back out of the premises and back out into the woods.”

Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro addressed the ongoing manhunt for Cavalcante during a short meeting With the press on Tuesday afternoon.

“This is a moment you have to realize that, the gig is almost up,” Gov Shapiro said, according to NBC. “What we are focused on is apprehending him.”

Authorities warned that an escaped murderer who has evaded capture in southeastern Pennsylvania for nearly two weeks was armed and urged residents Tuesday in the area where he was being pursued to lock up, secure vehicles and remain indoors.

Pennsylvania State Police posted on X, the platform formerly known as Twitter, that the department was pursuing Danelo Souza Cavalcante in South Coventry Township. Police also asked that the public call 911 if Cavalcante is seen and not to approach him.

At least one nearby school district announced early Tuesday that it would close all schools and offices for the day and another in the area planned to keep students indoors.

Authorities have pushed back against heavy criticism over their manhunt for escaped murder convict Danelo Cavalcante.

Pennsylvania State Police gave an update on the ongoing search for Cavalcante after it was revealed that the fugitive broke into a home in South Coventry Township on Monday night and stole a rifle.

Since his escape from Chester County Prison on 31 August, Cavalcante has travelled more than 30 miles from his initial hiding spot in Longwood Gardens. US Marshalls, FBI, SWAT teams and local and state police have scrambled to keep up with Cavalcante’s moves, despite assertions by officials that the manhunt is “wearing him down.”

Cavalcante climbed up a wall by crab-walking up from the recreation yard, climbing over razor wire and then running across a roof before jumping to the ground — the same method an inmate used in May before he was captured within minutes.

Cavalcante’s escape went undetected for more than an hour until guards took a headcount.

The jailbreak is being investigated by the state’s attorney’s office and a prison tower guard who failed to report it has already been fired.

Cavalcante remains on the run more than 12 days after he escaped from Chester County Prison on 31 August and Pennsylvania State Police are facing growing scrutiny after it was confirmed on Sunday that the fugitive had managed, yet again, to sneak past the search perimeter.

Lt Col George Bivens said that the convict had stolen a van from a dairy farm near Longwood Gardens botanical park, where the search was initially focused and a 10-mile perimeter had been established.

Cavalcante used the van to travel to Phoenixville, a town roughly 20 miles away from Chester County Prison and 25 miles away from the botanical garden.

PSP Lt Col George Bivens said that Cavalcante broke inside the garage of a home on Coventry Rd and stole a 22. rifle on Monday night.

The homeowner opened fire on Cavalcante and called authorities but the fugitive managed to flee the scene before law enforcement arrived.

Lt Col Bivens said that authorities are now searching the area, and urged residents to secure their homes and remain cautious.

The home where Cavalcante was last seen is in close proximity to the area where he abandoned a stolen van over the weekend in East Nantmeal Township.