Updated: Sept. 13, 7 a.m.
WEST VINCENT TOWNSHIP, Pa. (KYW Newsradio) — Police have swarmed another part of Chester County in the ongoing search for convicted killer Danilo Cavalcante after authorities say he entered an open garage and stole a rifle.
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Pennsylvania State Police Lt. Col. George Bivens said around 10 p.m. Monday, a resident on Coventryville Road alerted police that a man entered his garage while he was home and grabbed a .22-caliber rifle, which has a scope and flashlight on it. The homeowner drew his own pistol and fired at Cavalcante, but he got away with the weapon. He also has ammunition.
Police said it is unlikely that he was injured.
A green sweatshirt and white T-shirt, which Cavalcante was last seen wearing, were found at the edge of the driveway.
Pennsylvania State Police are asking residents to make sure their cars are locked and to stay inside their homes with the windows and doors secured. Reverse 911 calls alerted affected residents Monday night, urging them also to review their surveillance cameras and call police if they see anything suspicious.
Before the theft, police said there were two other sightings Monday night. Around 8 p.m., a driver reported seeing a man crouched near the woods on Fairview Road, west of Route 100. The driver turned around to get a better look but the person was gone.
A border patrol tactical team responded to that area and observed footprints, which led them to Cavalcante’s prison shoes. Another resident nearby later reported a pair of work boots were stolen from her porch.
The current search perimeter in South Coventry Township includes Route 23 to the north, Route 100 to the east, Fairview and Nantmeal roads to the south, and Iron Bridge and County Park roads to the west. Nearly 500 law enforcement officers are working to secure the 3-mile radius and conduct searches.
This area is not far from where Cavalcante abandoned the van that he stole from Baily's Dairy farm in West Chester over the weekend. That’s how he was able to travel about 30 miles into northern Chester County.
How he first broke containment from the heavily manned search perimeter area near Longwood Gardens is not yet known.
Police say he drove to a former coworker's home in East Pikeland Township Saturday evening, but that person wasn't home at the time. Images from that resident's doorbell camera showed Cavalcante with his beard shaved off and in different clothing.
Police have been concerned that he could take another vehicle, so they stress residents to make sure their property is secured.
The Owen J. Roberts School District closed schools and offices on Tuesday and Wednesday.
Anyone with information is asked to immediately call 911 or the tip line at 717-562-2987.
Bivens believes Cavalcante is desperate because he is reaching out for help from people with whom he hasn’t spoken in years.
“The fact that he has reached out to people with a very distant past connection tells me he doesn’t have a great network of support,” Bivens said. “So I think he’s desperate and I’ve characterized him as that all along. And I think the longer we push him, the more resources, the more tools we bring to bear, we will ultimately capture him. He doesn’t have what he needs to last long-term.”
Cavalcante, 34, has eluded capture since Aug. 31, when he broke out of the Chester County Prison while awaiting transfer to a different lockup. He had been sentenced to life in prison for fatally stabbing an ex-girlfriend in 2021, allegedly to stop her from telling police that he’s wanted in a slaying in his home country of Brazil.
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To escape, Cavalcante scaled a wall by crab-walking up from the recreation yard, climbed over razor wire, ran across a roof and jumped to the ground. His escape went undetected for more than an hour until guards took a headcount. The tower guard on duty was fired, officials said.
In Brazil, prosecutors in Tocantins state said Cavalcante is accused of “double qualified homicide” in the 2017 slaying of Válter Júnior Moreira dos Reis in Figueirópolis, which they said was over a debt the victim owed him for repairing a vehicle.
U.S. authorities describes Cavalcante as extremely dangerous. A $25,000 reward is being offered for information leading to his capture.
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The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Correction: A previous version of this article misspelled Cavalcante's first name based on errors in official law enforcement and court documents.