Danelo Cavalcante: Escaped killer now armed after stealing rifle from garage, US police say
A convicted murderer on the run after breaking out of prison was shot at by a homeowner who found him in his garage stealing a rifle, US authorities said.
Hundreds of state and local police along with federal agents are searching for 34-year-old Brazilian Danelo Cavalcante following his escape from Chester County Prison in Pennsylvania on 31 August.
Police say they are closing in on the “desperate” and “dangerous” fugitive, who has armed himself with the rifle with a scope and torch attached.
Overnight into Tuesday, Cavalcante grabbed the .22-calibre firearm before he fled as the property owner fired several shots at him with a pistol in Chester County.
Cavalcante before his escape. Pic: Chester County District Attorney
Authorities have set up a six square mile (16 square kilometre) perimeter around the home in a wooded, hilly area where they believe Cavalcante still is.
The fugitive has disposed of a sweatshirt he was seen wearing on CCTV cameras and he is now believed to be shirtless, police say.
Residents of South Coventry have locked themselves in their houses and at least one school district has cancelled lessons.
Pennsylvania State Police said they were pursuing him in the Philadelphia suburb, about 20 miles north of the Chester County Prison.
Lieutenant Colonel George Bivens said: “We consider him desperate. We consider him dangerous.”
“He is desperate enough to use that weapon.”
Cavalcante escaped by crab-walking up a wall from the recreation yard, climbing over razor wire, running across a roof and jumping to the ground.
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Killer ‘crab-walks’ out of prison
His escape went undetected for more than an hour until guards took a head count. The tower guard on duty was sacked, officials said.
Police have warned people not to approach Cavalcante, but to call 911 if they see him.
Armed police stand guard as the search for Cavalcante continues. Pic: AP
On Monday, state and federal officials rejected allegations they had blown their chances of catching Cavalcante, saying the area where hundreds had been searching included deep woods, underground tunnels and drainage ditches.
They also said it took more than two hours for news to reach them that he had been spotted outside the perimeter for the first time.
Pic: AP
Pic: AP
Cavalcante slipped out of an eight-square-mile search area over the weekend and stole a dairy delivery van that had been left unlocked with the keys in it.
He abandoned it more than 20 miles north of the search area after unsuccessfully seeking help at the homes of two former colleagues late on Saturday, police said.
Escaped murderer has stolen a van and changed his appearance
Pic: AP
Pic: AP
Mr Bivens declined to say how he believes the fugitive slipped through the perimeter adding that no perimeter is completely secure.
“The fact that he has reached out to people with a very distant past connection tells me he doesn’t have a great network of support,” Mr Bivens said.
“I think the longer we push him, the more resources, the more tools we bring to bear, we will ultimately capture him. He doesn’t have what he needs to last long-term.”
Cavalcante broke out of the Chester County Prison while awaiting transfer to a state prison to serve a life sentence for fatally stabbing an ex-girlfriend in 2021.
Prosecutors say he killed her to stop her from telling police that he was wanted over murders in his home country of Brazil.
In Brazil, he is accused of “double qualified homicide” in the 2017 killing of Valter Junior Moreira dos Reis in the municipality of Figueiropolis, over a debt the victim owed him for repairing a vehicle.
Donald Trump has waded into the debate surrounding Sydney Sweeney’s jeans ad.
The American Eagle ad, which features the 27-year-old actress, who starred in the HBO series Euphoria and White Lotus, has the tagline “Sydney Sweeney has great jeans”.
It has sparked a debate in the US over race and Western beauty standards.
One of the Sydney Sweeney jeans ads. Pic: AP
In a Truth Social post, the US president described it as the “hottest ad out there”.
Hailing Sweeney as a “registered Republican”, he said the jeans are “flying off the shelves”, adding: “Go get ’em Sydney!”
Most of the criticism of the ad has centred on videos using the word “genes” instead of “jeans”, with one in which Sweeney says: “Genes are passed down from parents to offspring, often determining traits like hair colour, personality and even eye colour. My jeans are blue.”
Critics argued the play on words potentially promotes eugenics, a discredited theory that believed humanity could be improved through the selective breeding of certain traits.
But others have defended the ad, saying the critics are reading too much into its message.
The video appeared on American Eagle’s Facebook page and other social media channels, but is not part of the ad campaign.
In a statement on Instagram on Friday, American Eagle Outfitters said the campaign “is and always was about the jeans. Her jeans. Her story. We’ll continue to celebrate how everyone wears their AE jeans with confidence, their way. Great jeans look good on everyone.”
Stocks in American Eagle Outfitters jumped by 23.3% after Mr Trump’s intervention.
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In his Truth Social post, which he reposted three times to fix various typos, Mr Trump compared the ad with “woke” ones “on the other side of the ledger” – as he criticised other companies, as well as hitting out at Taylor Swift.
“The tide has seriously turned – Being WOKE is for losers, being Republican is what you want to be,” he wrote.
Sky News has contacted Sweeney’s agent for comment.
Police in Tennessee have discovered 14 improvised explosive devices in a man’s home as they were arresting him, the local sheriff’s office said.
Officers were executing a warrant in the home of Kevin Wade O’Neal in Old Fort, about 45 miles (70km) east of Chattanooga, after he had threatened to kill public officials and law enforcement personnel in Polk County.
After arresting the 54-year-old, officers noticed “something smouldering” in the bedroom where he was found.
Kevin Wade O’Neal. Pic: Polk County Sheriff’s Office
On closer inspection, they discovered an improvised explosive device and evacuated the house until bomb squad officers arrived at the scene.
Fourteen devices were found inside the property – none of which detonated.
Improvised explosive devices were found in Kevin Wade O’Neal’s home. Pic: Polk County Sheriff’s Office
Kevin Wade O’Neal’s home in Old Fort, Tennessee. Pic: Polk County Sheriff’s Office
O’Neal was charged with 11 counts of attempted first-degree murder, corresponding to nine officers and two other people inside the property when the suspect tried to detonate the devices.
He also faces 14 counts of prohibited weapons and one count of possession of explosive components.
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O’Neal is being held at the Polk County jail and his bond is yet to be determined.
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