Danelo Cavalcante’s former roommate speaks out about ‘quiet and shy guy’ murder convict

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A former roommate of Danelo Cavalcante is cooperating with Pennsylvania authorities as the manhunt for the escaped murder convict drags on.

More than a week after Cavalcante’s escape from Chester County Prison on 31 August, state and federal authorities are scrambling to locate the “extremely dangerous” fugitive. Throughout the 12-day manhunt, Cavalante has eluded hundreds of law enforcement officers, obtained food and clothing items, changed his appearance and even stolen a transit van that he used to travel more than 25 miles.

The convicted killer drove the van from a dairy farm near Longwood Gardens to northern Chester County, where he visited the homes of two former coworkers in Phoenixville, according to police. Both attempts were unsuccessful and were later reported to police but Cavalcante had already left the residential areas.

On Sunday morning, Pennsylvania State Police found the stolen van in a field behind a barn in East Nantmeal Township. Police planned to deploy 600 personnel on Monday for “one massive sweep” of that area in hopes that the measure would yield results in the search for Cavalcante, who was convicted last month of murder.

Cavalcante’s former roommate Franco Rosa was in East Nantmeal Township on Sunday, telling reporters at the scene that he hoped to help law enforcement in any capacity he could. Mr Rosa lived with Cavalcante until the very day before he killed his former girlfriend Deborah Brandao in April 2021.

“He was a really quiet guy and a shy guy,” Mr Rosa told FOX29. He wouldn’t start a conversation, but if you start a conversation with him, he would talk normal. He would sit down sometimes and have a beer or two. On the weekends, sometimes, we would make barbeque.”

Back in 2021, Mr Rosa cooperated with authorities after Cavalcante went on the run following Brandao’s murder. Cavalcante was later arrested in Virginia and extradited back to Pennsylvania, where he was recently sentenced to life in prison.

Mr Rosa said that his former roommate’s escape had made him incredibly anxious, but he was hoping to help law enforcement once again.

“I don’t want him free anymore. It’s not just me,” Mr Rosa went out to say. “If I’m nervous, can you imagine the ex-girlfriend’s sister who’s taking care of the two kids? They are super scared. My cousin has kids in school in Phoenixville. They are scared, too.”

Law enforcement previously blasted a message from Cavalcante’s mother, speaking in Portuguese, into his hiding place in Longwood Gardens. Cavalcante has since fled the area and is believed to be more than 20 miles away from the prison, based on his last sighting.

Residents of the suburban Pennsylvania county where the search is underway are growing increasingly frustrated with law enforcement as the manhunt for Cavalcante entered its second week. Some residents were reportedly looking for the fugitive themselves, according to ABC.

“It’s crazy, you just don’t know and you wonder how he’s getting around, how he’s getting food,” Chester County resident Gayle Hammond told the network. “How he just continues to go from day to day and I guess now he’s changed his appearance.”

Doorbell video images showed Cavalcante to be now clean-shaven and wearing a green hooded sweatshirt, black baseball cap, green prison pants and white shoes.

US Marshalls, the FBI, and SWAT teams have joined the full-scale search for Cavalcante. Local and federal police and the state’s Crime Stoppers have offered a combined $20,000 reward for information that leads to Cavalcante’s capture.

Anyone with information about Cavalcante’s current whereabouts is asked to call 911 or the US Marshals’ Tipline at 877-WANTED-2.