Following reports that a wanted murderer on the run in southeast Pennsylvania may have been seen there once more, one of the best botanical gardens in the nation has been shut down indefinitely.
After Longwood Gardens closed on Thursday night, anyone still on the grounds was instructed to remain indoors while police searched a portion of the grounds for wanted man Danelo Souza Cavalcante.
On August 31, a Brazilian man, age 34, managed to break free from the Chester County Prison by climbing a wall, clambering over razor wire, and jumping from a roof.
State police reported that a possible sighting of Cavalcante on Thursday night was under investigation, but they withheld additional information about the sighting and the source of the report.
It happened a few hours after another witness claimed to have seen Cavalcante in another location within the vast botanical garden.
He was seen Monday night passing through its grounds while being recorded by a security camera on a trail.
Up to this point, Cavalcante has evaded hundreds of law enforcement personnel, including tactical teams wearing full combat gear, tracking dogs, officers on horseback, and officers from aircraft.
The second week of the search has begun, and anxious locals are still on the lookout for any sign of the fugitive.
Since his escape, there have been nine sightings of him, including Thursday night. Authorities have reported that Cavalcante has acquired clothing and other supplies.
A $20,000 reward is now offered for information that results in his capture.
Last month, Cavalcante was given a life sentence for the 2021 murder of his ex-girlfriend in front of her children.
While awaiting transfer to a state prison, he broke out. According to the prosecution, he killed her to stop her from informing the police that he was wanted for a 2017 killing in Brazil.
Following the murder of the ex-girlfriend, authorities think he was attempting to return to Brazil. In Virginia, he was apprehended.
The escape and search have generated significant media coverage in Brazil and abroad.
The main newspaper in Rio de Janeiro published on Wednesday a lengthy article under the heading “Dangerous hide-and-seek.”
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