Police in Pennsylvania said Sunday escaped murderer Danelo Cavalcante changed his appearance and is in possession of a vehicle after the killer broke out of a state prison 11 days ago.
Pennsylvania State Police said Cavalcante, 34, is now clean-shaven and was seen wearing a yellow or green hooded sweatshirt, a black baseball cap, green prison pants and white shoes when he was spotted by home surveillance cameras near Phoenixville late Saturday.
Authorities said the killer is driving a white 2020 Ford Transit van bearing Pennsylvania registration ZST8818. The van has a refrigeration unit on top.
Philadelphia ABC affiliate WPVI-TV said Baily’s Dairy reported the vehicle stolen.
The sighting around Phoenixville is about 20 miles north of the area near Longwood Gardens, where Cavalcante was spotted twice Friday.
WPVI reported that Cavalcante has ties to Phoenixville. The woman he was convicted of killing, former girlfriend Deborah Brandao, has family in that same area.
A jury convicted Cavalcante of stabbing Brandao to death in 2021 in front of her two young children.
Prosecutors said Cavalcante murdered Brandao after she learned he was wanted on unrelated homicide charges in his native Brazil and that she was going to alert the authorities.
He was sentenced to life in prison for the slaying on Aug. 16, but escaped the suburban Philadelphia penitentiary on Aug. 31 by scaling a wall and climbing over razor wire.
Cavalcante was gone for more than an hour before prison officials learned he was unaccounted for. The tower prison guard who was on duty at the time of his escape has since been fired.
Police said Cavalcante is extremely dangerous. He is 5 feet tall and weighs 120 pounds.
• Matt Delaney can be reached at mdelaney@washingtontimes.com.
Please read our comment policy before commenting.