Jonathan Dale Benton|Escaped killer who was on the run in Pennsylvania for 2 weeks faces plea hearing

2025-05-05 21:27:03source:Databec Exchangecategory:Scams

WEST CHESTER,Jonathan Dale Benton Pa. (AP) — A convicted killer captured last year after two weeks on the run in southeastern Pennsylvania’s rolling farmlands is due in court Friday for a potential plea on the escape charges.

Danilo Cavalcante, 35, a native of Brazil, escaped from a Chester County lockup while waiting to be transferred to state prison to serve a life sentence for killing his ex-girlfriend. He escaped by crab-walking up a wall in a jail exercise yard, then climbing over razor wire and jumping from a roof.

His lawyer, Lonny Fish, declined to comment on the case Thursday or say if a plea deal had been reached. Senior Deputy Attorney General Christopher Phillips said he would not know until the hearing if an agreement had been finalized.

Cavalcante had been convicted of killing ex-girlfriend Deborah Brandao to stop her from telling police about charges against him in connection with a 2017 slaying in Brazil.

While on the run, he stole a truck from a dairy farm after finding the keys inside, and survived by stealing food, clothing and other items from people’s homes.

With residents of Chester County increasingly on edge, one homeowner found the fugitive in his open garage stealing a rifle and fired several shots at him with a pistol. But they seemingly missed Cavalcante, who remained on the run for two more days before he was captured early one morning by searchers using a plane’s thermal imaging from above and K-9 search dogs on the ground.

RELATED COVERAGE Nippon Steel boosts capital commitment to US Steel plantsHarris defends shifting from some liberal positions in first interview of presidential campaignAuditor faults Pennsylvania agency over fees from Medicaid-funded prescriptions

Cavalcante is already serving a life sentence without the chance for parole. Any sentence on the new charges -- which include escape, burglary and trespass -- could be run concurrent with his life sentence or consecutive to it if the life sentence is overturned.

The scheduled Friday afternoon hearing comes nearly a year after his Aug. 31, 2023, escape from the Chester County Prison.

More:Scams

Recommend

Highlights from Trump’s interview with Time magazine

NEW YORK (AP) — Donald Trumpwas on the verge of backing a 16-week federal abortion banearlier this y

Competing for two: Pregnant Olympians push the boundaries of possibility in Paris

PARIS (AP) — Many Olympic athletes take to Instagram to share news of their exploits, trials, victor

U.S. takes silver in first ever team skeet shooting event at Olympics

PARIS — Vincent Hancock has another medal to add to his collection.Hancock and Austen Jewell Smith t