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Pennsylvania police say an escaped killer has stolen a van and shaved his facial hair
By: Joe Hernandez I NPR
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PHILADELPHIA, Pennsylvania (NPR) – A convicted killer who escaped from a Pennsylvania jail late last month has stolen a refrigerated van and changed his appearance as he continues to evade authorities in a sprawling manhunt that has lasted a week and a half.
[AP]
The getaway sparked a massive search across southeastern Pennsylvania, with schools canceling classes and police urging homeowners in the area to keep their doors and windows locked.
On Sunday morning, authorities said Cavalcante was spotted on a doorbell camera in the previous several hours near Phoenixville, about a 40-minute drive from where he had been seen before.
The formerly-bearded fugitive was now clean-shaven and was wearing a yellow or green hooded sweatshirt, a black baseball cap, his green prison pants and white shoes. Officials also said Cavalcante was driving a stolen white 2020 Ford Transit van with a refrigeration unit on top.
“Please remain inside and lock your vehicles and homes,” the Upper Providence Township Police Department said in a post on its website. “Check your surveillance devices, and call 911 to report any sightings of Cavalcante.”
Later in the morning, the Pennsylvania State Police said Cavalcante may have slipped away again.
“To those residents in the area of Phoenixville, you may no longer see a large law enforcement presence in your area,” the agency said in a tweet. “Investigative leads have emerged that indicate Cavalcante is no longer in that area.”
The manhunt is midway through its second week
Cavalcante, 34, was convicted of first-degree murder in August for the 2021 killing of Deborah Brandao, 6ABC reported.
Prosecutors say Cavalcante stabbed his then-girlfriend in front of her two young children to stop her from telling police that he was wanted for a separate homicide in his home country of Brazil, the outlet reported.
Just days after his conviction, Cavalcante made his daylight escape from the jail’s yard. A prison tower guard on duty at the time was later fired.
Late last week, Cavalcante was spotted near Longwood Gardens, a popular outdoor attraction about an hour’s drive from Philadelphia, but police failed to capture him.
Pennsylvania State Trooper Lt. Col. George Bivens said during a press conference on Thursday that authorities would continue to look for the fugitive as long as it takes.
“We’ve chased people for a lot longer than this and ultimately brought them to justice,” Bivens said. “As I’ve said before, we’re not going anywhere. We will eventually capture him. And when we do, he’s going to prison.”
According to the Philadelphia Inquirer, an inmate named Igor Bolte escaped from the same jail in May using the same method as Cavalcante, but authorities captured Bolte a short time later.
The acting warden of the Chester County Prison, Howard Holland, said that though the jail was fully staffed when Cavalcante broke out, it took jail authorities more than an hour to notify local law enforcement.