Escape Artist Murderer Utilized ‘Crab Walk’ Technique to Break Free from Pennsylvania Prison

It has been one week since the notorious murderer, Danelo Cavalcante, escaped from a Pennsylvania prison. The search for him in Chester County, just 25 miles west of Philadelphia, is still ongoing. The reward for any information that leads to his capture has now been increased to a staggering $20,000. This shocking news was reported by NBC Philadelphia, who also revealed the details of Cavalcante’s daring escape. The 34-year-old, who was convicted of killing his ex-girlfriend in 2021 and is also wanted for a 2017 murder in his native Brazil, was caught on security camera footage from Chester County Prison. The footage shows Cavalcante “crab-walking” his way up the walls in a hallway adjacent to the jail yard. He had his hands on one wall and his feet on the other, until he disappeared from view. It took more than an hour before prison officials realized Cavalcante was missing, as reported by 6ABC.

According to authorities, Cavalcante scaled a wall, climbed over razor wire, and made his way onto the roof. From there, he jumped off the roof and navigated through more razor wire before finally getting over a fence. This is the same route that another prisoner had used to escape back in May, but that inmate was quickly apprehended by a vigilant tower guard. In the case of Cavalcante, however, the tower guard on duty during the escape is now on leave as the investigation continues. It remains unclear why the guard did not notice Cavalcante jumping off the roof. The prison had installed razor wire after the previous escape, but the acting warden admitted that this measure alone was insufficient. They are now exploring additional security improvements, including the possibility of placing prison officers in the yard and enclosing it with a cage. Cavalcante was last sighted on Tuesday night. (Read more Pennsylvania stories.)