Pennsylvania State Police give inside look at helicopter that helped capture Cavalcante

READING, Pennsylvania (WPVI) — Pennsylvania State Police gave an inside look at one of the helicopters that helped find convicted killer Danelo Cavalcante.

Cavalcante spent two weeks on the run in Chester County after escaping from prison on August 31.

“My unit was the first one to get called to the Chester County manhunt search. When we got the call, we were there within 25 minutes,” said Sgt. Brian Kunes, a state police helicopter pilot.

Launching from the Reading Regional Airport, technology on the helicopter gave investigators the tools they needed to help track Cavalcante.

The helicopter is loaded with gear, like Forward Looking Infrared cameras.

The helicopter also includes a spotlight and a speaker. Police used the speaker to broadcast a message from Cavalcante’s mother in Portuguese for him to turn himself in.

“It’s one of our higher-end searches, only because it involves a lot of flying, a lot of manpower at the time, and a lot of maintenance. So, we are prepared to handle just about anything that comes in,” said Kunes.

Cavalcante was eventually captured with the help of an aircraft provided by the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration, which picked up a heat signal using thermal technology.

State police were glad they could assist in Cavalcante’s capture, and say they’re in a better position for the next mission.

“We gather the good and the bad, and then we meet afterward to ultimately say what was good and what was bad and where can we improve,” said Kunes.

The Chester County Commissioners will hold another in-person town hall meeting on Monday for residents impacted by the escape.