Escaped killer evades US police in huge manhunt / Photo: Handout - Pennsylvania State Police Department/AFP
Escaped killer evades US police in huge manhunt
The manhunt continued for a sixth day Wednesday for a convicted murderer who escaped from prison in Pennsylvania, with local schools closed and residents asked to lock their doors.
Almost a week after 34-year Brazilian national Danelo Cavalcante slipped away from the Chester County Prison, hundreds of law enforcement officers with helicopters, drones and search dogs were still out in full force looking for the fugitive.
"Residents... are asked to lock their doors, check their cars and belongings, and to stay aware of their surroundings," the Chester County District Attorney's office said in a statement on Facebook.
The fugitive was last spotted on Tuesday.
"Last evening, we had another sighting of Cavalcante by a resident in the area," Pennsylvania State Police official George Bevins told reporters. "The team searched the area for hours but were unable to locate him."
Prison officials on Wednesday released a video showing how Cavalcante, who was sentenced to life in prison for stabbing his girlfriend to death, was able to make his escape.
In the clip, the convict, wearing a white T-shirt, jeans and sneakers, is seen crab-walking up two parallel walls and then climbing to the roof.
- 'Keep pressure on him' -
Bevins warned residents that Cavalcante was likely looking to burglarize their homes looking for food, clothes and other supplies.
"Cavalcante has clearly already obtained some clothing and unknown other supplies and we want to minimize any opportunity to obtain anything more," Bevins said. "It is important that we keep pressure on him as we continue the hunt."
Resident Joe Delahanty, 40, was stopped four times by officers on his way to work early Wednesday, including a state trooper asking him to open the trunk of his car as they looked for Cavalcante.
"This is the first time in nine years that I've felt the need to lock my house doors when leaving for work," Delahanty told the Philadelphia Inquirer.
Schools were closed as a precaution and police warned the public in areas west of Philadelphia.
Earlier Cavalcante was sighted Monday night via trail cameras at a botanical garden near Philadelphia. Footage showed the man carrying a backpack and duffel bag in the dark.
Ryan Drummond, who lives nearby, told local ABC News television that Cavalcante had broken into his house just before midnight Friday.
"I woke up my wife and said, 'I think there might be someone downstairs,'" he said, describing how Cavalcante stole peaches, apples and green snap peas from the family kitchen, then walked out.
Cavalcante escaped from Chester County Prison on August 31 after receiving a life sentence the week before for stabbing his girlfriend 38 times in front of her children in 2021.
According to the Inquirer, he hopped off the roof of a prison building in similar circumstances to another inmate who escaped in May.
The Chester County prosecutor's office announced a $10,000 reward and said that hundreds of officers, backed by helicopters, drones, night-vision goggles, and dogs, were on the hunt.
A.Saggese--PV
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