The convicted murderer who escaped from a Pennsylvania prison last month reportedly broke into a house on Monday night. He allegedly stole a rifle and was shot at seven times by the homeowner, according to a report. However, police have warned that Danelo Cavalcante, the fugitive killer, is now armed and a bigger threat as the manhunt has now entered 13 days.
According to Fox 29 Philadelphia, Cavalcante fled the scene with a .22-caliber gun he had allegedly stolen from the house. Cavalcante was seen in East Nantmeal Township when a resident shot at a person who matched his description, according to Action News.
Armed and On the Run
According to the local ABC station, the man who matched the convict's profile escaped and it's unclear if he was hit because no blood was found at the location.
Hundreds of police, including SWAT personnel in armored trucks, descended upon the area after a helicopter spotted the dangerous fugitive in South Coventry Township. According to a local source, investigators who searched the area of the reported sighting found shoes that they believe might belong to Cavalcante.
Pennsylvania State Police issued a shelter-in-place order to residents of the townships of South Coventry, West Vincent, and East Nantmeal through a reverse 911 call.
The townspeople were urged to lock their doors and windows, secure their vehicles, and stay inside during the emergency alert because the state police had warned that the murderer might be armed.
Authorities asked citizens to call 911 if they saw the erratic criminal and to avoid approaching him. According to Action News, Cavalcante, 34, might have been able to steal a .22 rifle from the homeowner's house before being possibly shot at.
Cavalcante was awaiting transfer while serving a life sentence for the murder of his ex-girlfriend at the Chester County Prison, located 30 miles west of Philadelphia. he escaped by scaling a wall on August 31.
More dangerous Now
The state police, via a Facebook update just before 2 AM on Tuesday, reported that they were pursuing Cavalcante in South Coventry Township and mentioned that he was carrying a weapon.
"He is armed. Residents in the area are asked to lock all doors and windows, secure vehicles, and remain indoors. Do not approach. Call 911 if seen," state police said.
The most recent sighting of Cavalcante was on Saturday when he stole a van and tried to contact former coworkers before abandoning the vehicle in a field.
Owen J. Roberts School District in Chester County decided to remain closed on Tuesday, with four schools in the neighboring Downingtown Area School District keeping their activities indoors as a precaution.
TMZ has reported that Dog the Bounty Hunter is interested in joining the manhunt and has been monitoring the search efforts. However, he wants to familiarize himself with the area before traveling there.
The police had initially focused their search near the prison, where Cavalcante had been seen multiple times the previous week. However, on Saturday, he was captured on a ring doorbell camera outside a former colleague's house in East Pikeland Township, and later spotted outside another ex-coworker's residence in nearby Phoenixville.
Cavalcante was seen wearing a black baseball-style hat, a green hooded sweatshirt, green prison pants, and white shoes while appearing to smirk at the doorbell camera of one of his former colleagues' homes.
These homes are located beyond the perimeter where law enforcement initially focused their search efforts, raising concerns about how Cavalcante managed to elude the hundreds of officers patrolling the area.
State Police Lieutenant George Bivens has pledged to persistently pursue the search with the support of various federal, state, county, and local resources. He has expressed confidence that they will ultimately succeed in recapturing the fugitive.
