Hundreds of officers chasing Danelo Cavalcante Pennsylvania killer

The Pennsylvania manhunt for an escaped convicted killer has escalated and shifted focus to a small township where police have set up a new perimeter, schools are closed and people are on edge after the fugitive stole a rifle and vanished again, authorities said.

The search for Danelo Cavalcante, 34, took a turn after he was spotted on Monday night in Chester County’s South Coventry Township, about 20 miles north of the prison he broke out of two weeks ago.

The fugitive, who has evaded hundreds of officers for days, turned up shirtless at a homeowner’s garage, ran in and grabbed a .22-caliber rifle, Pennsylvania State Police Lt. Col. George Bivens said in a Tuesday news conference.

Davison was involved in the 2015 manhunt for inmates Richard Matt and David Sweat, after they escaped from Clinton Correctional Facility in Dannemora, NY.

"Each manhunt is a little bit different," Davison said. "And you have different inmates in different locales, but the efforts that are used to try to locate them are somewhat similar in each case."

Police received another call two hours later from a resident who said Cavalcante snuck into their garage and stole a .22-millimeter rifle while the homeowner was inside, and fled the scene after the homeowner attempted to fire at Cavalcante with a pistol.

Cavalcante’s latest sighting has upended lives in South Coventry Township, which has a population of just over 2,600. The Owen J. Roberts School District closed Tuesday, while several other area districts moved outdoor activities indoors.

Local pizza shop owner Giuseppe Gatto told CNN affiliate WPVI he was forced to close his business for the day after Route 100 was partially shut down to the public.

“Talking to my customers the last couple days, we’re afraid. They’re afraid. I’m afraid. He could be at somebody’s house. He could be at somebody’s business,” Gatto told the station. “I hope they catch this guy.”

Bivens also urged Cavalcante's family and friends to help the investigation, and issued this warning: "To anyone who may have already offered assistance or is contemplating assisting Cavalcante in any way, we will prosecute you fully for those actions."

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Sarah H

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