Danilo Cavalcante, a convicted killer who escaped from a Chester County lockup last year and was captured after two weeks on the run, pleaded guilty to escape and burglary charges. He was sentenced to serve an additional 15 to 30 years in prison on top of his existing life sentence without parole for killing his ex-girlfriend. Cavalcante did not speak in court.
During his escape, Cavalcante climbed between two walls in a jail exercise yard, climbed over razor wire, and jumped from a roof. He had been convicted of killing his ex-girlfriend to stop her from reporting charges against him in connection with a 2017 slaying in Brazil. While on the run, he stole a truck from a dairy farm and survived by stealing food and clothing from homes.
One homeowner found Cavalcante in his open garage stealing a rifle and shot at him with a pistol, but missed. He was eventually captured by searchers using thermal imaging from a plane and K-9 search dogs.
Cavalcante, a native of Brazil, told the judge through an interpreter that his education had stopped in fourth grade. His defense lawyer stated that Cavalcante quickly agreed to plead guilty to the charges. The judge advised Cavalcante to make something of his life, even in prison, and encouraged him to be a mentor to someone for a good purpose. His lawyer expressed that Cavalcante did not realize the chaos and fear he caused during his escape.
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