Escaped killer Danelo Cavalcante was captured two weeks after escaping from the Chester County jail, which is about 45 minutes from The Baldwin School.
Cavalcante, who is also wanted in Brazil for homicide charges, faces life in prison for the murder of his ex-girlfriend. The footage of his escape shows Cavalcante scaling a wall, which earned him the nickname “Spiderman Killer.” Chester County District Attorney Deb Ryan described his two weeks on the loose as a “nightmare” to ABC News.
Cavalcante’s escape has created some very real nightmares for Baldwin students, too. Here’s how the manhunt for Danelo Cavalcante has impacted those in our community.
Baldwin’s campus is 20 miles from the Chester County jail, but students who live close to the prison have experienced the terror involved in his escape more directly. Violet Zhang ‘26, who lives in Chester County, received two warning texts from the Chester County state department. Zhang also said Unionville, her younger sister’s school district, shut down last week because of Cavalcante’s escape.
For some Baldwin students, though, the frightening news caused them fear and loss of sleep.
“I had a very scary dream about him being at the school,” Ambea Nmah ‘26 said. Nmah continued to describe her elaborate nightmare involving Cavalcante hiding under a car on campus.
“I have seen a few videos, but I feel like now I’m invested, and I’m searching up his name a lot more,” Nmah said.
The impact of Cavalcante’s escape on the Baldwin community was also highlighted by conversations in the halls on Sept. 6, just a day after footage of Cavalcante at Longwood Gardens was released.
“My mom works right near Longwood Gardens, where he was last spotted,” Sienna Yocom ‘26 said. “They’re locking doors in between clients, and they hear helicopters a lot. Everybody’s kind of scared and on edge out there.”
Now, with Cavalcante’s capture, we can rest easy knowing that he will no longer be spotted in local forests, homes, and gardens. Arraigned on a felony escape and denied bail, Cavalcante will appear in court on Sept. 27 for a preliminary hearing. There is no certain explanation for the prolonged chase, but in the meantime, Baldwin students should be able to return to getting a good night’s sleep.
