Danelo Cavalcante capture: Chester County residents express relief with convict in custody

With Danelo Cavalcante captured and in custody, Chester County residents are breathing a sigh of relief.

The Chester County police radio dispatch relayed the news everyone in Chester County had been waiting to hear, "Subject is in custody. Repeat, subject is in custody."

"When I heard the news this morning, it was almost like your body was shaking," Glenmoore resident, Jennifer Lubrano, stated.

Lubrano and her husband say the capture of escaped killer Cavalcante will mean sleeping without a pistol at arms-length. They spent two days with police crawling all over their 75-acre horse farm in the search zone on the same block where Cavalcante was last spotted.

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"We have just not slept. We’ve had every light on," Lubrano continued. "We’ve basically been locked in the house."

They live so close, agents with U.S. Customs and Border Patrol worked out of their horse arena and used their ATVs in the search. While watching the coverage unfold Wednesday morning on FOX 29’s Good Day Philadelphia, they recognized those agents and the K-9 who took down Cavalcante.

"Sure enough, when we saw them on the news this morning, it was those guys who got them. And, we were just so thankful," Lubrano added.

Cavalcante was captured in the woods behind Little’s Tractor dealership, along Pottsville Pike. Store manager Jim Martin had an up-close view.

"We basically watched them walk him up. One camouflaged trooper had his gun and they were walking him up," Martin said.

Soon after the capture, the intense 13-day response from law enforcement disappeared from the rural Chester County community as quickly as it came.

"It’s just a huge relief," Glenmoore resident, Maryelle Yackel said. "Really, it’s been terrifying. I was down here yesterday and I said it was exasperating."

"When you can’t go to work, it’s kind of a nuisance," Martin added. "I just think it was time for him to get taken down."

By Wednesday evening, people were out walking their dogs, talking with neighbors with ease and garage doors were back open, as relief washed over North Coventry Township.

"It’s definitely a huge relief that they caught him," explained Amy Kovach. "We normally take our son for a walk after dinner and we haven’t been doing that, so today, we’re out and we’re going down to the park."

Community parks also came alive now that families were able to leave their homes without restrictions. Businesses are happy to see them.

Bodhi Sanders smiles for a different reason. "Yeah, I’m ready."

He heads back to school Thursday. The Owen J. Roberts School District closed schools for two days as the search for the convicted killer played out in the area.

Bodhi was with his ad while waiting for his sister, Fiona, to finish an optional soccer practice at Owen J. Roberts High School. The sign outside the district building property thanking law enforcement, the chaos in the rearview mirror.

"Going down the main road was literally hundreds of cops on the road, so it gave you a little bit of pause," Brent Sanders said.