A convicted murderer who escaped from a Pennsylvania prison more than a week ago has continued to elude police.
Police say the man, Brazilian native Danelo Cavalcante, stole a van to run from law enforcement on Sunday.
Police said keys to the van had been left inside the vehicle. The vehicle was recovered on Sunday but the fugitive remained at large.
Cavalcante, 34, was later spotted by a doorbell camera as he tried to contact a former work colleague at his home. Images showed that Cavalcante had changed his appearance by shaving his beard and moustache.
“You will note that Cavalcante is now clean shaven and wearing a bright green hooded sweatshirt,” Lt Col George Bivens of the Pennsylvania State Police told reporters.
Cavalcante tried to contact another former colleague on Saturday night in Phoenixville, a town about 48km north-west of Philadelphia, but the colleague was not home.
A neighbour notified the police after spotting Cavalcante.
Lt Col Bivens said there were “very large drainage ditches” and some underground tunnels in the search area, making it impossible to fully secure the perimeter.
He said police would use about 600 personnel to conduct “one massive sweep” of the area.
“I am confident we will capture him, and we will bring him back into the criminal justice system,” Lt Col Bivens said.
Cavalcante escaped from Chester County Prison on August 31 after he was sentenced to life for stabbing his girlfriend to death in front of her children in 2021.
He escaped the prison by scaling up the yard walls and then running across the prison's roof.
Police have offered a reward of up to $20,000 for information leading to his capture.
Reuters contributed to this report
