Danelo Cavalcante Height, Weight, Age, Girlfriend, Parents, Biography, Wiki & More

Danelo Cavalcante is a Brazilian national who made headlines in 2023 after escaping from a Pennsylvania prison where he was serving a life sentence for the brutal murder of his ex-girlfriend, Deborah Brandão.

He was on the run for nearly two weeks, evading hundreds of law enforcement officers and causing fear and panic among the residents of Chester County. He was finally captured on September 13, 2023, after a tip from a citizen led to his arrest. Here is everything you need to know about Danelo Cavalcante, his background, his crimes, his escape, and his capture.

Danelo Cavalcante Wiki & Biodata

Height, Weight & Body Stats

According to the web search results, Danelo Cavalcante is a Brazilian national who is 5 feet tall and weighs 120 pounds. He has long, curly black hair and brown eyes. He is fluent in both Portuguese and Spanish. He is also a convicted murderer who escaped from a Pennsylvania prison in 2023 and was captured after a two-week manhunt.

Early Life and Criminal History

Danelo Cavalcante was born in Brazil on July 3, 1989. Little is known about his early life, family, and education. Some officials have described him as a former street gang member who had a history of violence and abuse. According to police in Brazil, Cavalcante shot and killed a man in the town of Figueirópolis in the state of Tocantins in November 2017. The motive for the murder was allegedly a dispute over a car payment. Cavalcante fled the scene with the victim’s cell phone and car and later left the country. A warrant for his arrest was issued in Brazil in June 2018.

Cavalcante traveled to Puerto Rico before arriving in the US illegally. He settled in Pennsylvania, where he met Deborah Brandão, another Brazilian national who lived in Chester County. They became neighbors and started dating for about a year and a half. Deborah was a mother of two young children, a daughter and a son, who were aged four and seven at the time of her death. She had moved to the US to give her children a better life.

Relationship with Deborah Brandao and Her Murder

At first, Danelo Cavalcante seemed like a positive match for Deborah. He was nice to her and her children, helped her with chores, and kept her company. However, his behavior changed over time and he became jealous, possessive, and violent. He would go through her phone, accuse her of cheating, and threaten her with harm. In December 2020, Deborah filed a protection from abuse order against Cavalcante, after he bit her and chased her out of her home with a knife. Prosecutors later revealed that Cavalcante had a history of abusing Deborah physically and emotionally.

The situation escalated on April 8, 2021, when Deborah learned that Cavalcante was wanted for murder in Brazil and threatened to expose him to the police. That day, Cavalcante attacked Deborah outside her home and stabbed her 38 times in front of her children. He inflicted wounds on virtually every vital organ of her body and caused her to bleed to death. Her children ran to the neighbors for help while Cavalcante fled the scene. He was arrested several hours later in Virginia by state troopers who spotted his car on Interstate 95. He was extradited to Pennsylvania and charged with first-degree murder, which carries a mandatory life sentence without parole.

Danelo Cavalcante went on trial in August 2021 and pleaded not guilty by reason of insanity. His defense attorney argued that he suffered from mental illness and substance abuse that impaired his judgment and ability to control his impulses. However, the jury rejected his claim and found him guilty after three days of testimony and evidence. He was formally sentenced to life imprisonment on August 23, 2021, by Judge Patrick Carmody, who called his crime “horrific” and “senseless”. Deborah’s sister, Sarah Brandão, who took custody of her children, said that she was relieved by the verdict and hoped that Cavalcante would never see the light of day again.

Escape from Prison and Manhunt

Danelo Cavalcante did not spend much time behind bars before he made a daring escape from the Chester County Prison on August 31, 2021. He used the same route that another inmate, Igor Bolte, had used to escape from the same facility in May 2021. Bolte was a rock climber who scaled two walls separated by a narrow hallway and climbed over a fence to get out. He was caught five minutes later after an officer spotted him on a surveillance camera.

After Bolte’s escape, the prison hired security consultants who recommended installing razor wire on the walls to prevent future escapes. However, this measure proved to be ineffective, as Cavalcante managed to climb the walls by placing his hands and feet on either side and “crab-walking” up. He then ran across a roof, scaled a fence, and pushed his way through the razor wire. He was not seen by any guard or camera during his escape, which took place around 9:00 a.m. The prison staff did not realize he was missing until an hour later when they conducted a head count.

Danelo Cavalcante’s escape triggered a massive manhunt that involved hundreds of law enforcement officers from local, state, and federal agencies. They searched the area around the prison using helicopters, drones, dogs, and thermal imaging devices. They also set up roadblocks, checkpoints, and patrols. They warned the public that Cavalcante was extremely dangerous and desperate not to get caught. They advised residents to lock their doors, stay indoors, and report any suspicious activity or sightings.

The search expanded after Cavalcante was spotted several times in different locations in Chester County. On September 1, he broke into a home in Pocopson Township and stole some clothes and food. The homeowner, Ryan Drummond, saw him inside his house and called 911. He described Cavalcante as “very calm” and “not aggressive” during the encounter. On September 6, he was captured on a trail camera in Warwick Township, wearing a camouflage jacket and carrying a backpack. On September 11, he entered another home in Glenmoore and stole a rifle from there. The homeowner shot at him but missed. Cavalcante fled with the weapon and was seen again on a surveillance camera later that night.

The authorities increased the reward for information leading to Cavalcante’s arrest from $10,000 to $25,000. They also enlisted the help of the US Marshals Service, which has jurisdiction over fugitives wanted in other countries. They contacted their counterparts in Brazil to obtain more information about Danelo Cavalcante’s background and possible contacts or destinations. They also alerted the border patrol and immigration officials to prevent him from leaving the country.

Capture and Future

Cavalcante’s run came to an end on September 13, 2023, after a citizen tipped off the police about his whereabouts. The tipster saw Cavalcante walking along a road in Honey Brook Township and recognized him from the media reports. He followed him at a distance and called 911. The police responded quickly and surrounded Cavalcante near an intersection. He surrendered without resistance and was taken into custody around 11:00 am.

Danelo Cavalcante was transported back to the Chester County Prison, where he faces additional charges of escape, burglary, theft, and weapons offenses. He is being held in a maximum-security cell under constant surveillance. He is also expected to face extradition proceedings to Brazil, where he is wanted for murder. His capture brought relief and closure to Deborah Brandão’s family and friends, who had been living in fear since his escape. Sarah Brandão said that she was grateful to the police and the public for their efforts in finding Cavalcante and bringing him to justice.