“He’s killed two people previously. I would suspect he’s desperate enough to use that weapon,” Lt Col. George Bivens of the Pennsylvania State Police said.
The convicted killer who escaped a Pennsylvania prison nearly two weeks ago is still on the run and authorities say he is now armed with a rifle.
Danelo Cavalcante is now armed with a .22 caliber rifle after a gunfight with a homeowner.
“He’s killed two people previously. I would suspect he’s desperate enough to use that weapon,” Lt Col. George Bivens of the Pennsylvania State Police said in a press conference.
At 8 p.m. on Monday night, a woman reported seeing a “male crouching by the roadside.” Police searching the area found Cavalcante’s prison-issued shoes. Then at around 10 p.m., the fugitive entered an open garage at a house shrouded by trees in Chester County, Pennsylvania.
Police say Cavalcante probably entered the garage to stay the night but when he got there, the homeowner was inside. According to police, Cavalcante grabbed a rifle he saw leaning against a wall and the homeowner used a handgun to fire at Cavalcante. The homeowner shot seven times but none of the bullets hit the escaped fugitive, police say.
Reverse 911 calls were sent to every cellphone in the area. State police issued a shelter-in-place warning, telling residents, “lock all doors and windows. Secure vehicles and remain indoors.”
Five-hundred police are now involved in the hunt, focusing on three roads near the house where he was last seen. Police in full combat gear were seen searching the area house-by-house and searching every vehicle.
Many of the homes in the area are hundreds of years old and have root cellars, a place someone on the run could hide. As the search continues, police will have to search them.
Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro appealed to Cavalcante to surrender.
“You’ve got to realize the gig is almost up and you’d be best to turn yourself in,” Shapiro said.
