A convicted murderer who was captured on Wednesday — two weeks after escaping from a Pennsylvania prison — reportedly lived off watermelon and planned to flee to Canada or Puerto Rico.
Danelo Cavalcante allegedly hid in thick brush and shaved using a razor he found in a backpack. Supervisory deputy U.S. Marshal Robert Clark told “NBC News’ Top Story with Tom Llamas” that Cavalcante revealed his survival plot and how he intended to leave the country — by carjacking someone with a rifle he stole during his escape.
“Early in the investigation he stated that he had found watermelons on a watermelon farm, and he was living off watermelon, he was drinking from the stream, he was moving at night only,” Clark said.
Clark also alleged that Cavalcante hid his feces so law enforcement could not track his whereabouts. He claimed the escaped prisoner was actively planning to leave the country as the cops’ perimeter became more overwhelming.
“There wasn’t a better time for us to locate and apprehend him,” he told NBC. “There were times, at least three times, where law enforcement officers were almost stepping on him, and the area was saturated so he felt that he needed to move locations.”
However, Cavalcante was never able to carry out those plans because a U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration aircraft detected a heat signature that led authorities to further narrow a perimeter, as CrimeOnline reported. Hours later, a Border Patrol tactical unit (BORTAC) and Pennsylvania State Police team zeroed in on Cavalcante.
A BORTAC K9 subdued Cavalcante and bit him on the scalp and lower extremity after he ignored commands to come out of hiding.
Cavalcante escaped from Chester County Prison on August 31 as he awaited transfer to state prison where he would serve a life sentence for fatally stabbing his ex-girlfriend in 2021. Before his capture, Cavalcante showed up on Ring doorbell footage and deer cams — and the videos showed that he has changed his appearance.
Calvante has been charged in connection with the prison escape. NBC reported that he has been moved to a maximum-security prison in Montgomery County to begin serving his life sentence.
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[Featured image: Pennsylvania State Police]
