WEST CHESTER, PA – Search efforts for Danelo Cavalcante, an inmate who escaped from Chester County Prison, have led to the closing of two school districts and Longwood Gardens.
Unionville-Chadds Ford School District and Kennett Consolidated School District both announced their closures online. John Sanville, the superintendent of Unionville-Chadds Ford, indicated that the current search area falls within the district, affecting three schools and resulting in several road closures.
While buildings in the Unionville-Chadds Ford district are closed, remote learning is in place for students. Kennett’s Superintendent, Dusty Blakey, said the district is in continuous communication with law enforcement to assess when it is safe to resume in-person classes.
Authorities have recorded Cavalcante on Longwood Gardens’ trail cameras, prompting the venue’s closure. A reward of $10,000 is being offered for information that results in Cavalcante’s capture, with instructions to call 911 rather than approach him.
Cavalcante, age 34, has avoided capture since his escape on the last day of August. The search has expanded to include federal agencies such as the FBI and U.S. Customs and Border Protection, with a large number of officers from different departments participating.