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Slain woman’s sister says Pennsylvania fugitive transformed from a kind neighbor into a jealous and threatening boyfriend | CNN

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Slain woman’s sister says Pennsylvania fugitive transformed from a kind neighbor into a jealous and threatening boyfriend | CNN




CNN
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Before he brutally killed his ex-girlfriend in front of her children two years ago in Pennsylvania, Danelo Souza Cavalcante seemed like a positive match – a fellow Brazilian who was a good neighbor and kind – the slain woman’s sister says.

But Cavalcante, now the subject of a manhunt after he escaped from a Pennsylvania prison last week, seemed to transform over time, eventually exuding jealousy and threatening Deborah Brandão before her death, her sister told CNN.

Now the sister, Sarah Brandão, who lived near both of them and is taking care of Deborah’s two children and well as her own daughter in Pennsylvania, is terrified about his escape and worried that he could come after her.

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“I haven’t slept for many days. Since (his escape) I have been waking up with fright at night. I nap and wake up with fright,” Sarah Brandão told CNN in an interview translated from Portuguese to English.

Cavalcante, 34, who was convicted just last month of first-degree murder in Deborah Brandão’s 2021 killing, escaped from the Chester County Prison some 30 miles west of Philadelphia on August 31, sparking a search involving hundreds of officers.

Cavalcante, who also is wanted in a 2017 homicide case in Brazil, is extremely dangerous and desperate not to get caught, authorities have said, and they’ve urged residents in areas near the prison to keep their doors locked, stay inside, and check their security cameras.

Deborah first met Cavalcante because they were neighbors in Chester County, Sarah told CNN. He helped and was kind to Deborah, she said.

They dated for about a year and a half, according to Sarah.

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“She said he was nice to her, he was nice to her children, that he helped her,” Sarah told CNN. “He kept her company. She didn’t feel alone anymore.”

“He seemed normal, but he was always very silent, observant and reserved,” she added.

This photo, provided by the Chester County Prison, shows Danelo Cavalcante.

He treated Deborah’s two children well, but “there wasn’t much attachment to them – no love, no hug, nothing; very cold,” Sarah said.

His behavior toward Deborah changed over time, Sarah said.

“She kept saying that he was extremely jealous – that when he drank, he became a different person; that he kept going through her cell phone,” Sarah said.

Cavalcante would threaten Deborah, telling her he would “do the worst” to her if she ever cheated, Sarah said.

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Cavalcante killed Deborah, 33, in April 2021 by stabbing her 38 times in front of her then 7- and 4-year-old children, the Chester County district attorney’s office has said. She had filed a protection from abuse order against him the year prior, according to a probable cause affidavit.

Just days after his conviction last month, Cavalcante was sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole.

When Cavalcante was sentenced last month, Sarah felt relief. Deborah was honored and received justice, she said.

But since Cavalcante’s escape, Sarah has been living in fear, she told CNN.

“I was desperate, desperate, very scared. I thought about my children, obviously,” Sarah said.

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Sarah is worried Cavalcante could show up at her Chester County home and afraid he will come after her.

Despite her fears, she believes police will capture Cavalcante, she said.

When Sarah learned about her sister’s murder, “my world ended,” Sarah told CNN.

The sisters were best friends, she said: The only time they weren’t together was at bedtime.

“We worked together all day. We talked on the cell phone all day when we weren’t together,” Sarah said.

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Deborah brought her children to the United States “because here the quality of life is better than in Brazil,” Sarah said.

“She wanted to give a better life for both of them,” Sarah said.

Now, Sarah is trying to give Deborah’s children the lives her sister wanted for them, she said.

“I have a house cleaning company. My husband has a flooring services company. And we continue working our little life and trying to do the best for the children, which is what I have been doing since I lost my sister,” she said.

“I try my best, right?”

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Eastbound portion of the Pennsylvania Turnpike shut down due to deadly pedestrian crash

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Eastbound portion of the Pennsylvania Turnpike shut down due to deadly pedestrian crash



A portion of the Pennsylvania Turnpike is shut down after someone was hit and killed along the highway in Beaver County. 

The eastbound lanes of the Turnpike are closed between the New Castle interchange and the Cranberry interchange following the deadly overnight crash.

Pennsylvania State Police said that the crash happened near milepost 14 not far from the Beaver Valley interchange. 

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A detour provided by PennDOT is redirecting traffic off of the Turnpike at the New Castle interchange, onto I-376 westbound, Rt. 422 eastbound, onto I-79 southbound, and back onto the Turnpike at the Cranberry interchange. 

One person was killed when they were hit along the eastbound lanes of the Pennsylvania Turnpike in North Sewickley Township early Friday morning.

KDKA Photojournalist Brian Smithmyer


Dispatchers said the crash happened around 2:30 a.m. Friday.  Details surrounding the circumstances of the crash are limited at this time and the person who was killed has yet to be identified.

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Troopers from the Pennsylvania State Police Troop T barracks in Gibsonia are leading the investigation into the deadly crash. 

It’s unclear when the eastbound lanes of the Turnpike will reopen. 



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Pa. election 2025: What to know about the candidates for Superior Court

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Pa. election 2025: What to know about the candidates for Superior Court


What questions do you have about the 2025 elections? What major issues do you want candidates to address? Let us know.

In Pennsylvania’s 2025 general election, voters will determine who joins one of the commonwealth’s most powerful courts: the Superior Court, which handles thousands of criminal, civil and family appeals cases each year and is often the final word in justice for many residents across the commonwealth. The court’s decisions can shape everything from parental custody arrangements to criminal sentencing and consumer protections to business issues.

Three candidates — Democrat Judge Brandon Neuman, Republican Maria Battista and Daniel Wassmer of the Liberal Party — are vying for an open seat. Meanwhile, Democratic Judge Alice Beck DuBow is seeking a new 10-year term in a separate retention vote.

The Superior Court is one of two intermediate appellate courts in Pennsylvania, which review decisions from the state’s 67 county courts. The Superior Court has the final say on around 97% of its decisions which are not successfully appealed to the state Supreme Court.

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“Do you want your communities to be safe? All criminal matters if appealed … go to the Superior Court. I ask people, ‘Do you care about your families, your children, your grandchildren?’ All matters related to families and children go to the Superior Court,” Maria Battista, the Republican nominee, told PCNTV last month. “Do you care about your property rights? Property issues go to the Superior Court.”

Here’s who is running:

Judge Brandon Neuman

Judge Brandon Neuman ran uncontested in the Democratic primary. He currently serves on the County Court of Common Pleas in Washington County, where he is a lifelong resident. He graduated from the University of Richmond and Duquesne University Kline School of Law, and practiced trial law before being elected to the Pennsylvania House of Representatives in 2017, where he served four terms. He ran for lieutenant governor but lost in the primary.

He says his time as a lawmaker shaped how he views the role of the appellate bench.

“You learn about how the law is created and then, as a judge, you understand that we are not lawmakers,” he said in an interview with PCNTV. “You have to respect and appreciate how hard it is to make a law and then take a step back as a judge and say we have to follow the law and the constitution. That is our job.”

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His legislative work included authoring the Debbie Smith Act, which was aimed at ending Pennsylvania’s backlog of untested rape kits.

In a notable 2024 ruling, Neuman ordered Washington County to notify voters if their mail ballots contained errors that could prevent them from being counted, a decision that was upheld by successive higher courts.

He said he sees the judiciary’s biggest challenge as “rebuilding public trust” in an era of widespread skepticism toward government institutions.

“Right now, the courts generally have the lowest approval rating that they’ve had probably in modern history,” he said. “You don’t come to court voluntarily. It’s not something that you enjoy. And so really just making sure … that this process is going to be fair, it’s going to be impartial. I’m going to listen to you and I’m going to follow the law.”

The Pennsylvania Bar Association’s Judicial Evaluation Commission rated Neuman “Highly Recommended,” citing his judicial record and demeanor. He has received endorsements from several labor unions, including the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees Council 13, the Pennsylvania State Education Association, International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers and the Pennsylvania AFL-CIO. He is also endorsed by the Fraternal Order of Police Pennsylvania State Lodge, Pennsylvania State Troopers Association and Pennsylvania Sheriffs’ Association.

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Pennsylvania State Police resume Operation Safe Stop initiative

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Pennsylvania State Police resume Operation Safe Stop initiative


Police are on the lookout for drivers who are breaking the law when it comes to driving around school buses as part of the ongoing Operation Safe Stop initiative.

The premise behind Operation Safe Stop is to get motorists to pay more attention to school buses when they’re operating motor vehicles around them, as authorities have noted an increase in incidents and close calls between school buses and other vehicles.

State police say those who violate these rules often have varying reasons for doing it, but none of them are good excuses.

“Every morning, we all know there are school buses on the road,” said Trooper Kalee Barnhart with the Pennsylvania State Police.

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Every year, students are killed or injured getting on or off the bus. The most recent numbers tell a sad tale.

According to the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation, about 17,000 children end up in the emergency room annually after school bus-related incidents, with 19 school-age students getting killed as riders and pedestrians.

“It does get reported frequently,” said David Schreiber, the transportation supervisor at the Bentworth School District.

“Troopers and local police will be working with school bus drivers and school officials to identify high-violation areas and increase patrols where violations are most common,” Trooper Barnhart added.

State police say what’s most perplexing is the fact that the rules regarding how drivers should deal with school buses are pretty simple.

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“When the red lights are flashing, and the stop arm is extended, you must stop, whether you are approaching from behind or coming from the opposite direction,” Trooper Barnhart said.

Dangerous driving around school buses isn’t new, but law enforcement says it’s happening more, likely for several reasons.

“Distracted driving plays a huge role,” Trooper Barnhart added. “Additionally, everyone is in a hurry.”

For drivers who don’t follow the rules, there are steep penalties they could face for these infractions, including a $250 fine, five points added to the driver’s license, and a 60-day license suspension, all for the first offense.

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