(Eagle News) – Just shy of two-weeks, the manhunt for escaped killer Danelo Cavalcante finally came to an end Wednesday morning when police honed in on his location using an aircraft equipped with thermal imaging technology.

“Today is a great day in Chester County. Our nightmare is finally over and the good guys won,” said Chester County District Attorney Deb Ryan during the official announcement of convict’s capture.

Just a few hours before the announcement, a tactical team converged on the heat source and found Cavalcante underneath foliage within their search perimeter in northern Chester County.

“Shortly after 8 a.m. tactical teams converged on the area where the heat source was. They were able to move in very quietly. They had the element of surprise,” Pennsylvania State Police Lt. Col. George Bivens said. “Cavalcante did not realize he was surrounded until that had occurred. That did not stop him from trying to escape, he began to crawl through thick underbrush, taking his rifle with him as he went.”

After being subdued by police dogs, Bivens said Cavalcante continued to resist and was forcibly taken into custody. No police were injured but authorities said Cavalcante sustained a minor dog bite wound.

Bivens described the encounter as being over in a matter of minutes.

Authorities said a series of events unfolded Tuesday night that led to the capture.

First, a burglar alarm went off at a residence near Prizer Road, which drew police into the area.

About an hour later, a police aircraft using thermal imaging detected a heat signature north of Prizer Road. Unfortunately, as tactical teams closed in, lightning storms grounded police aircrafts and a decision was made to keep ground teams in place to secure the perimeter.

The pursuit continued Wednesday morning, ending with Cavalcante’s capture.

After being interviewed and processed by police, Cavalcante will be transferred to a state prison to serve his life sentence for fatally stabbing his ex-girlfriend in 2021.

(Eagle News Service)