Neighbors on edge as Danelo Cavalcante manhunt comes close to home: 'I want him caught'
Homeowners in search zone for escaped killer arming themselves
Homeowners in the search zone for escaped killer Danelo Cavalcante are defending themselves with firearms. Cavalcante entered a garage Monday night and grabbed a .22 caliber rifle before encountering a homeowner who fired "several shots."
POTTSTOWN, Pa. - The manhunt for Danelo Cavalcante brought a flood of law enforcement officers to normally unsuspecting parts of Pennsylvania, leaving neighbors on edge.
Cavalcante, 34, freed himself from Chester County Prison on Aug. 31 after using his hands and feet to shimmy up a prison wall and jump from the roof to freedom.
The escape sparked a nearly two weeks long manhunt that left townspeople in small rural communities like Kennett Square and East Nantmeal Township paralyzed in fear.
"We were up all night listening to the scanners and news," Heather Kummerer of Pottstown said. "I was really scared in the middle of the night, but this morning the police activity in our neighborhood has been crazy."
Authorities said Cavalcante, who was recently found guilty of stabbing his girlfriend to death in 2021, armed himself with a .22 caliber rifle that he stole Monday night from a home's garage in East Nantmeal Township.
DANELO CAVALCANTE MANHUNT:
- Danelo Cavalcante: Search for escaped killer reaches day 12, reward grows to $25K
- Danelo Cavalcante: Escaped killer spotted near Phoenixville; stolen van found abandoned
- Danelo Cavalcante: Chester County shops, restaurants see business down as manhunt continues
- Danelo Cavalcante: Prison guard on-duty when killer escaped Chester County prison fired
- Danelo Cavalcante manhunt: Escaped killer is now armed; police urge some residents to stay indoors
Police said the homeowner was inside the garage when Cavalcante dipped inside and grabbed the firearm. The homeowner, armed with a pistol, fired several shots at Cavalcante, but authorities said they have no reason to believe he was hit.
Cavalcante also ditched his prison-issued shoes for a pair of work boots that he swiped from the porch of a residence. It's believed he's now shirtless after police reported finding the light-green hoodie he was spotted wearing on doorbell camera footage.
"I want him caught," said a homeowner who did not wish to be identified. "We don't want any of our police force being injured, it's scary for everyone."
Some residents who live within the search zone stand ready with firearms, some even carrying their weapon on their hip or leaving them by the front door.
Neighbors on edge as manhunt for killer comes close to home: 'I want him caught'
The manhunt for escaped killer Danelo Cavalcante brought a flood of law enforcement officers to typically quiet Pennsylvania communities. People who live in these neighborhoods have endured sleepless nights and a maze of detours as police expand and refine their search for Cavalcante.
Cavalcante, now considered armed and dangerous by police, managed to once again avoid being caught on the 12th day of the manhunt. Police confirmed a sighting of the fugitive off Fairview Road in East Nantmeal Township Monday night, first reported by a woman who believed she saw him crouched near a treeline.
Monday's sighting prompted a flood of law enforcement officers who established a new search perimeter: PA 23 to the north; PA 100 to the east; Fairview and Nantmeal roads to the south; and Iron Bridge and County Park roads to the west.
With a shaken sense of security, one resident said she's clinging to hope that "they catch him and no one gets hurt while they're catching him. A $25,000 reward is being offered for information leading to his capture.