A convicted murderer, Danelo Souza Cavalcante, who had been on the run in Pennsylvania, United States, for about 14 days, has been rearrested.
His escape led law enforcement agencies on an intense manhunt for him before he was eventually captured on Wednesday, ending his activities of terrorizing Philadelphia suburb.
The 34-year-old convict broke out of the Chester county prison on 31 August while awaiting transfer to state prison to serve a life sentence for fatally stabbing an ex-girlfriend in 2021.
He was taken into custody shortly after 8am on Wednesday when state police and federal border protection search teams closed up on him lying with a stolen rifle inside a perimeter set up by authorities in rural South Coventry township, in Chester county.
At a morning press conference, law enforcement officials said Cavalcante was subdued by a police dog as he attempted to crawl away into woodland. He sustained a minor bite wound but his capture was otherwise without incident, authorities said.
“Thank God there were no injuries to law enforcement or to the public,” Josh Shapiro, the Democratic governor of Pennsylvania, told the press briefing.
“We obviously became deeply concerned after the suspect was able to steal a weapon. He was apprehended this morning with no shots fired.”
Shapiro praised state and federal authorities who worked together to end what he said was “a concerning and trying time for each and every one of you in the region”.
Video from a news helicopter showed Cavalcante led by heavily armed officers dressed in military-style uniforms to an armored police vehicle.
The rifle stolen earlier this week was recovered, according to the footage, which showed one of dozens of officers at the scene carrying the gun.
Cavalcante was taken to a police station in Avondale for an interview and medical evaluation, Lt Col George Bivens of Pennsylvania state police said, adding that Cavalcante would then be transferred into the custody of the state department of corrections to resume his life sentence.
In his escape last month, Cavalcante scaled a wall by crab-walking up from the recreation yard, climbing over razor wire, running across a roof and jumping to the ground. His escape went undetected for more than an hour until guards took a head count.
The tower guard on duty has since been fired.
Authorities described Cavalcante as extremely dangerous. A $25,000 reward was offered for information leading to his capture and hundreds of personnel from state and federal law enforcement agencies were deployed to track him down.
