El Chapo’s wife set to be released from halfway house following prison sentence

El Chapo’s wife set to be released from halfway house following prison sentence
El Chapo’s wife set to be released from halfway house following prison sentence
Drew Angerer/Getty Images

(LONG BEACH, Calif.) — The wife of Joaquin “El Chapo” Guzman is set to be released from her California halfway house on Wednesday, after being sentenced for helping run the Mexican drug cartel in which her husband was the boss, according to prison records.

Emma Coronel Aispuro was sentenced in November 2021 to 36 months in federal prison after pleading guilty to money laundering and conspiring to distribute cocaine, meth, heroin and marijuana for import into the U.S. She was also ordered to pay almost $1.5 million in fines.

Aispuro was moved from a federal prison in Texas, to a halfway house in Long Beach, California, in June, ahead of her release.

It is typical for inmates who have exhibited good behavior in federal prison to be moved to a halfway house up to six months before their release, according to a Bureau of Prisons official.

She was arrested in February 2021 at Dulles International Airport, just outside the nation’s capital, and convicted of drug trafficking and money laundering charges by a Washington, D.C. jury later that year.

At her sentencing, Aispuro, through an interpreter begged for forgiveness, vowing she will teach her daughters right from wrong.

“I beg you to not allow them to grow up without the presence of a mother,” she said.

Aispuro was also accused of conspiring with others to assist her husband in his July 2015 escape from Altiplano prison, and prosecutors said she also planned with others to arrange another prison escape for the drug kingpin before his extradition to the U.S. in January 2017.

Guzman was found guilty in February 2019 of running an industrial-sized drug trafficking operation, the Sinaloa cartel, one of the world’s largest, most profitable and most ruthless drug smuggling organizations.

He was sentenced to life in prison, and has since tried to appeal the conviction.

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Georgia Gov. Kemp declares state of emergency over inflation, blames DC

Georgia Gov. Kemp declares state of emergency over inflation, blames DC
Georgia Gov. Kemp declares state of emergency over inflation, blames DC
Alyssa Pointer/Bloomberg via Getty Images

(ATLANTA) — Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp has declared a state of emergency in response to high inflation, blaming policies coming out of Washington, D.C.

Kemp is temporarily suspending Georgia’s excise tax — taxes enforced on particular goods, services and activities — on motor and locomotive fuel, his office said in a press release on Tuesday.

“From runaway federal spending to policies that hamstring domestic energy production, all Bidenomics has done is take more money out of the pockets of the middle class,” Kemp said in the press release. “While high prices continue to hit family budgets, hardworking Georgians deserve real relief and that’s why I signed an executive order today to deliver it directly to them at the pump.”

He added that his administration will work with Georgia’s General Assembly “to help Georgians weather the economic headwinds caused by this president, his administration, and their allies in Congress.”

Kemp’s executive order goes into effect at Midnight on Wednesday and lasts until Oct. 12.

Consumer prices increased 3.2% in July compared to a year ago, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Core inflation, which strips out volatile food and energy prices, rose 4.7% in July compared to a year ago, particualrly because price increases for commodities like new vehicles and housing stand above the overall inflation rate.

The U.S. Department of Labor will release the latest inflation numbers on Wednesday.

The governor said Georgia residents will save “31.2 cents per gallon of gasoline and 35 cents per gallon of diesel fuel” under the state of emergency.

In March 2022, Kemp signed legislation suspending the state’s gas tax following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, which led to a spike in gas prices across the country.

During that 10-month suspension, Georgians saved $1.7 billion at the gas pump, Kemp said in Tuesday’s press release.

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Court orders DA to respond to Mark Meadows’ request for emergency stay in Georgia election case

Court orders DA to respond to Mark Meadows’ request for emergency stay in Georgia election case
Court orders DA to respond to Mark Meadows’ request for emergency stay in Georgia election case
Tom Williams/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images

(ATLANTA) — The Eleventh Circuit Court of Appeals has given Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis one day to respond to former Trump Chief of Staff Mark Meadows’ request for an emergency stay regarding his election interference case in Georgia.

Meadows on Monday requested the emergency stay after a judge on Friday rejected Meadows’ bid to have his case moved, based on a federal law that calls for the removal of criminal proceedings brought in state court to the federal court system when someone is charged for actions they allegedly took as a federal official acting “under color” of their office.

Meadows and 18 others, including former President Donald Trump, have pleaded not guilty to all charges in a sweeping racketeering indictment for alleged efforts to overturn the results of the 2020 presidential election in the state of Georgia. The former president says his actions were not illegal and that the investigation is politically motivated.

The Eleventh Circuit, responding to Meadows’ emergency motion, ordered Willis to submit a brief responding by noon ET Wednesday.

Additionally, the court ordered both Meadows and Willis to submit briefs addressing whether the federal removal statue permits former federal officers to remove state actions to federal court, or only current federal officers.

The briefings on that question are due Wednesday afternoon for both sides.

Meadows is charged with one count of violation of the Georgia RICO Act and one count of solicitation of violation of oath by public officer, for taking actions “in furtherance of the conspiracy,” according to the DA’s indictment.

His attorney, George Terwilliger, has said, “Nothing Mr. Meadows is alleged in the indictment to have done is criminal per se: arranging Oval Office meetings, contacting state officials on the President’s behalf, visiting a state government building, and setting up a phone call for the President. One would expect a Chief of Staff to the President of the United States to do these sorts of things.”

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NASA astronaut breaks record for longest trip to space by an American

NASA astronaut breaks record for longest trip to space by an American
NASA astronaut breaks record for longest trip to space by an American
NASA

(NEW YORK) — A NASA astronaut has broken the record for the longest space mission in U.S. history.

Frank Rubio, 47, who has been aboard the International Space Station since September 2022 — more than 355 days — broke on Monday the previous record held by retired NASA astronaut Mark Vande Hei.

Rubio is not scheduled to return to Earth until Sept. 27, meaning he will be the first American and seventh person overall to spend more than a year in space.

He will have spent a total of 371 days orbiting Earth. The current record for most consecutive days spent in space overall belongs to Russian cosmonaut Valery Polyakov, who spent 437 days in space.

“Frank Rubio’s journey in space embodies the essence of exploration. As he breaks records as the longest serving @NASA US astronaut in space, he also paves the way for future generations of astronauts. Your dedication is truly out of this world, Frank!” NASA Administrator Bill Nelson said in a statement posted on X, formerly known as Twitter.

In an interview with “Good Morning America” last month, prior to breaking the record, Rubio said he felt honored to hold the title and that he expected the record would be broken again in the future.

“I think this is really significant in the sense that it teaches us that the human body can endure, it can adapt and as we prepare to push back to the moon and then from then onward onto hopefully Mars and further on in the Solar System,” he said. “I think it’s really important that we learn just how the human body learns to adapt and how we can optimize that process so that we can improve our performance as we explore further and further out from Earth.”

When Rubio originally lifted off last September — riding aboard Russia’s Soyuz MS-22 spacecraft with Russian cosmonauts Sergey Prokopyev and Dmitry Petelin — his mission was only expected to last six months.

However, in December 2022, the day a scheduled spacewalk was planned, an external leak was detected from Soyuz MS-22, later determined to have been caused by a micro-meteorite impact.

Because the spacecraft was unable to perform a crew return, it extended the three astronauts’ stay for an additional six months. MS-22 returned to Earth uncrewed, and MS-23 was launched in February 2023 and docked at the ISS as a replacement. The spacecraft will return the crew to Earth later his month.

During the “GMA” interview, Rubio said that a medical team examines astronauts within 10 minutes of their return to Earth, with many experiencing problems with their equilibrium at first, as well as walking and standing upright.

“I’m not sure how it will be for me,” he said. “I’m preparing for the fact that it might be a challenge, that it might take a couple of days before I’m somewhat normal, but the reality is it’s going to take anywhere from two to six months of really intense rehab to get back to my normal, and that’s just part of the process.”

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5 former Memphis officers indicted by federal grand jury in Tyre Nichols’ death

5 former Memphis officers indicted by federal grand jury in Tyre Nichols’ death
5 former Memphis officers indicted by federal grand jury in Tyre Nichols’ death
Memphis Police Department/via Reuters

(MEMPHIS, Tenn.) — Five former Memphis police officers have been indicted by a federal grand jury in connection with the death of Tyre Nichols.

Tadarrius Bean, Demetrius Haley, Justin Smith, Emmitt Martin III and Desmond Mills Jr. were indicted on charges relating to the deprivation of rights under color of law, including excessive force and failure to intervene as well as deliberate indifference, and conspiracy to witness-tamper, according to court records.

Nichols, 29, died on Jan. 10, three days after a violent confrontation with police following a traffic stop.

“Tyre Nichols should be alive today,” Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division, said in a statement. “It is tragic to see a life cut short at 29, with so many milestones unmet, so many words unsaid, so much potential unfulfilled. These federal charges reflect the Justice Department’s unwavering commitment to protecting the constitutional and civil rights of every American and preserving the integrity of the criminal justice system. We stand ready to hold law enforcement officers accountable for their misconduct because no one is above the law in our country.”

All five former officers also face state felony charges, including second-degree murder, aggravated assault and aggravated kidnapping, in connection with Nichols’ death. They pleaded not guilty.

Mike Stengel, the attorney for Haley in his state case, confirmed he will also be representing him on the federal charges.

“The indictment is disappointing, but not surprising,” Stengel told ABC News. “He’ll plead not guilty and defend himself in court.”

William Massey, who represents Martin, said, “We have been expecting it and are ready to move forward.” Bean’s attorney, John Perry, said he had no comment.

The indictment outlines in detail what prosecutors allege were efforts by the five officers to brutally assault Nichols, purposely ignore his need for immediate medical care and later seek to cover up their actions.

Each of the defendants, according to the indictment, were involved in beating Nichols during the Jan. 7 traffic stop and none relayed information about their assault to the Memphis police dispatcher, their supervisor or the EMTs and paramedics who were coming to the scene.

The officers allegedly spoke at the scene about how they had struck Nichols, “including hitting Nichols with straight haymakers and taking turns hitting him with so many pieces,” but they also did not relay that information to first responders or their supervisors even as his condition “deteriorated and he became unresponsive,” the indictment alleges.

The indictment also alleges the officers used their body-worn cameras to limit the capture of evidence, with Martin moving his body cam to a location where their assault of Nichols wouldn’t be captured and Haley and Smith only activating their cameras after the group attacked Nichols.

After EMTs arrived, Haley and Mills removed their body-worn cameras and the group allegedly discussed their assault of Nichols making statements like, “Everybody rocking his a**, Pop pop, please fall; and I thought when he wasn’t going to fall, we about to kill this man.”

Afterward. at the police station, the group met and lied to an MPD detective about the arrest for the Incident Report, the indictment alleges, claiming Nichols had actively resisted arrest “by pulling gun belts” and grabbing one officer by his vest. Mills and Smith also falsely told the detective that “Nichols was so strong that he lifted two officers into the air.”

The group further omitted information about how they had punched and kicked Nichols and the eventual incident report falsely stated that, “After several verbal command[s], Detectives were able to get the suspect Tyre Nichols in custody.”

ABC News’ Stephanie Wash contributed to this report.

Copyright © 2023, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

Timeline of massive search for escaped Pennsylvania inmate Danelo Cavalcante

Timeline of massive search for escaped Pennsylvania inmate Danelo Cavalcante
Timeline of massive search for escaped Pennsylvania inmate Danelo Cavalcante
Chester County Prison via AP

(PHILADELPHIA) — Police have been on the heels of a convicted murderer who escaped from a suburban Philadelphia prison in late August.

Danelo Cavalcante, 34, was convicted of first-degree murder in August for fatally stabbing his former girlfriend in 2021.

Days after being sentenced, he broke out of the Chester County Prison in Pocopson Township — where he was waiting to be transferred to a state correctional institution — by copying a method another inmate used to escape from the prison weeks prior, officials said.

Cavalcante is also wanted for a homicide charge in his native country of Brazil, authorities said.

Here’s a look at major developments in the massive manhunt.

May 19

Inmate Igor Vidra Bolte breaks out of Chester County Prison by scaling a wall in an exercise yard to gain access to the roof, according to a criminal complaint obtained by ABC News. Bolte, who later told authorities he was a rock climber, then gets out of the prison by climbing down from the roof by the visitors’ entrance where there is less security and running off the grounds on the south side of the prison, according to the complaint.

A tower officer who observed Bolte leaving the yard area contacts control immediately, and the inmate is caught within 5 minutes of escaping, authorities said.

Aug. 16

Cavalcante is convicted of first-degree murder for fatally stabbing his former girlfriend 38 times in front of her two young children in 2021, officials said.

Aug. 22

Cavalcante is sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole.

Aug. 30

Howard Holland is named the acting warden of the Chester County Prison, a day after the prison board accepted the resignation of longtime warden Ronald Phillips.

Aug. 31

Cavalcante escapes from the prison at 8:51 a.m. by “crab walking” up a wall, pushing his way through razor wire installed after Bolte’s escape, running across the prison roof and scaling more razor wire, before making his getaway, according to Holland. The tower officer on duty at the time does not observe nor report the escape, according to Holland.

Cavalcante is first noticed missing about an hour later, after inmates are brought back in from the exercise yard. The prison is locked down at 9:50 a.m. and a public escape siren is sounded at 10:01 a.m., according to Holland.

Chester County Commissioners and the U.S. Marshals are offering a combined $10,000 reward in the case.

Sept. 2

Cavalcante is recorded around 1:43 a.m. on a residential Ring doorbell camera on the 1800 block of Lenape Road in Pocopson Township, about 1.5 miles from the prison, officials say. He is wearing a white T-shirt, white sneakers and a backpack.

Sept. 4

Cavalcante is recorded twice on a private trail camera set up at Longwood Gardens, a sprawling horticulture attraction about 5 miles southwest of the prison — first at 8:21 p.m. walking north in the gardens and then by the same camera at 9:33 p.m. walking south — according to Lt. Col. George Bivens, deputy commissioner of operations for the Pennsylvania State Police. He is wearing a backpack, a duffel sling-type pack and a hooded sweatshirt.

Sept. 7

The total reward for information that leads to the capture of Cavalcante increases to $20,000.

The corrections officer who was on duty in the guard tower when Cavalcante escaped is fired, according to the Chester County District Attorney’s Office.

Sept. 9

Cavalcante allegedly steals a white Ford work van from Baily’s Dairy, about three-fourths of a mile from the perimeter around Longwood Gardens, according to Bivens.

At 9:52 p.m., he is captured on a video doorbell camera in East Pikeland Township, more than 20 miles from Longwood Gardens, at a residence that belongs to a man who once worked with Cavalcante, according to Bivens.

The previously bearded fugitive is now clean-shaven and wearing a green hooded sweatshirt over a dark baseball hat, and is seen driving the white Ford van. The former colleague is not home but speaks with Cavalcante via the video doorbell, according to Bivens.

Around 10:07 p.m., Cavalcante shows up at another former work colleague’s home in nearby Phoenixville, according to Bivens. That person is not home but a friend sees Cavalcante and calls the former work colleague, according to Bivens.

Sept. 10

The stolen van is found abandoned with no fuel at 10:40 a.m. in a field behind a barn in East Nantmeal Township, according to Bivens.

Sept. 11

Cavalcante’s prison shoes are recovered and another resident reports a pair of work boots were stolen from her porch, according to Bivens.

Around 10 p.m., a shirtless Cavalcante allegedly steals a .22-caliber rifle with a scope and flashlight from a resident’s garage on Coventryville Road in East Nantmeal Township, according to police. The homeowner, who is in the garage at the time, fires several shots at Cavalcante with a pistol, but the fugitive flees and is not believed to be harmed, according to Bivens.

The reward for information leading to Cavalcante’s capture increases to $25,000.

Sept. 12

Upward of 500 law enforcement are engaged in securing a perimeter, which is about 3 miles east to west and about 2.5 miles north to south and includes PA 23 to the north, PA 100 to the east, Fairview and Nantmeal Mill roads to the south and Iron Bridge and County Park roads to the west in Chester County, according to Bivens.

ABC News’ Bill Hutchinson contributed to this report.

Copyright © 2023, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

Arrest made in 1994 cold case murder of Virginia mother after DNA testing, confession: Police

Arrest made in 1994 cold case murder of Virginia mother after DNA testing, confession: Police
Arrest made in 1994 cold case murder of Virginia mother after DNA testing, confession: Police
amphotora/Getty Images

(NEW YORK) — Police in Virginia announced the arrest of a man for the 1994 cold case murder of a 37-year-old woman.

The Fairfax County Police Department said Stephan Smerk, 51, is the suspect in the murder of Robin Lawrence, who was found stabbed to death inside her home in Springfield, Virginia, on Nov. 20, 1994. Lawrence’s daughter, only 2 years old at the time of the murder, was found alone in another room of the house unharmed.

The nearly 30-year-old case was solved, police said, after a genetic genealogy analysis.

Investigators were then able to obtain a consensual DNA sample from Smerk at his home in New York and later a “full confession” to the crime, police said. Smerk, who was on active duty in the Army at the time of the murder, had been living at the Fort Myer base in Northern Virginia when the killing occurred, police said.

“He chose her seemingly randomly, and it was a heinous, heinous scene. And I’ve seen a lot of crime scenes in person and photographs of one, and this one was particularly gruesome,” Fairfax County Police Chief Kevin Davis said at a press conference.

Smerk had no prior arrest record before being taken into custody this month, and police said they don’t believe he was suspected of any similar crimes. Smerk had no apparent connection to the victim, police said. He’s currently in custody in New York and is awaiting extradition to Virginia.

ABC News was not immediately able to locate a legal representative for Smerk.

“We as the family who’s sitting here to my left would like to thank the Fairfax and Niskayuna police departments for their work on this case. We look forward to learning more about the process and next steps,” Lauren Ovans, a cousin of the victim, told reporters Monday.

Police collected DNA from the 1994 crime scene, but had no matches to the genetic profile, which was uploaded to the national database for DNA. The use of the genetic genealogy analysis helped break the case after cold case detectives submitted that DNA to Parabon NanoLabs, a Virginia DNA technology-based company, police said.

The police force was able to develop “a profile using that DNA and began searching genealogical databases. They use that information to develop a family tree which they provided to our detectives and a volunteer who worked with our cold case detectives,” said Fairfax Police Deputy Chief of Investigations Eli Cory.

Before traveling to New York, Fairfax County cold case detectives say they compared a composite sketch of the suspect to Smerk’s high school yearbook picture and a DMV picture of him in the 1990s.

Smerk’s willingness to cooperate was “highly unusual, so that was a clue to our detectives that something may be afoot,” Chief Davis said.

The Fairfax County cold case detectives left after meeting with Smerk and were preparing to return to Virginia when they say Smerk called and told them, “I want to talk and I want to talk right now,” police said. Detectives advised him to call 911 and go to the local police station, according to police.

Smerk, who was working as a software engineer, “fully described his involvement. It is beyond involvement, he talked about killing Robin. And he talked a little bit about some more details that I won’t go into, but it was a full confession. And it was a confession with more than enough details. Coupled with the genetic genealogy research,” Davis said.

He added, “The evidence that we have the strength of this case is overwhelming. And we feel fully comfortable that he’s going to be successfully prosecuted right here in Fairfax County.”

 

Copyright © 2023, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

Grand Canyon hiker dies attempting to trek from south rim to north rim in single day

Grand Canyon hiker dies attempting to trek from south rim to north rim in single day
Grand Canyon hiker dies attempting to trek from south rim to north rim in single day
Nico De Pasquale Photography/Getty Images

(NEW YORK) — A Grand Canyon hiker has died while attempting to hike rim-to-rim in a single day at the national park.

Ranjith Varma — a 55-year-old man from Manassas, Virginia — was attempting to hike from the Grand Canyon’s south rim to the north rim in a single day on Saturday when the Grand Canyon Regional Communications Center received an emergency call at approximately 1:55 p.m. of a “hiker in distress” on the North Kaibab Trail, about one mile south of Cottonwood Campround, according to a statement released by the National Park Service (NPS) on Monday.

The trail is notoriously difficult and few people who visit the park take on the challenge.

“For the hearty souls who are willing to work for it – less than one percent of the Grand Canyon’s five million annual visitors – the real magic lies below the rim,” the National Parks Foundation says on their website. “On this epic Grand Canyon hike, you’ll leave from the North Kaibab Trail on the North Rim, challenging your personal limits as you descend 14.3 miles and 6,000 feet to the bottom of the canyon before connecting with the Bright Angel Trail and climbing 4,500 feet and 9.6 miles back out again to the South Rim.”

Varma became unresponsive and bystanders began initiating CPR on him, according to NPS.

“National Park Service search and rescue personnel responded to the call via helicopter,” NPS said in their statement. “Given the location, specialized helicopter maneuvers were employed to allow rangers to assume care of the hiker, initiating advance life support efforts.”

Attempts to resuscitate Varma were ultimately unsuccessful and the 55-year-old died during his rim-to-rim attempt at the Grand Canyon.

Park officials took the opportunity to warn people about the dangers of hiking, particularly during extreme heat.

“In the summer, temperatures on exposed parts of the trail can reach over 120°F (49 °C) in the shade. Park rangers strongly advise not hiking in the inner canyon during the heat of the day between the hours of 10 a.m. and 4 p.m.,” NPS said. “Be aware that efforts to assist hikers may be delayed during the summer months due to limited staff, the number of rescue calls, employee safety requirements, and limited helicopter flying capability during periods of extreme heat or inclement weather.”

Hikers are strongly encouraged to read the Hiking Tips page and check the Backcountry Updates and Closures page for current information on inner canyon conditions on NPS’ website before embarking on any journey.

An investigation into the Varma’s death is being now being conducted by the NPS in coordination with the Coconino County Medical Examiner and authorities confirmed that no further information will be made available at this time.

 

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Escaped murderer Danelo Cavalcante armed with rifle he took from resident’s garage

Escaped murderer Danelo Cavalcante armed with rifle he took from resident’s garage
Escaped murderer Danelo Cavalcante armed with rifle he took from resident’s garage
Escaped convicted murderer Danelo Cavalcante is seen with an altered appearance in photos released on Sunday, Sept. 10, 2023, by the Pennsylvania State Police. — Pennsylvania State Police

(NEW YORK) — Pennsylvania authorities are warning that escaped convicted murderer Danelo Cavalcante is armed with a .22-caliber rifle with a scope and flashlight that he allegedly stole from a resident’s garage overnight.

Around 10 p.m. Monday, that resident called police to say Cavalcante had entered his garage and grabbed a rifl, Pennsylvania State Police Lt. Col. George Bivens said at a news conference Tuesday.

The homeowner, who was in the garage at the time, fired several shots at Cavalcante with a pistol, but Cavalcante fled, Bivens said.

Cavalcante’s prison shoes were recovered Monday night and another resident said a pair of work boots were stolen from her porch, Bivens said.

“Residents in the area are asked to lock all doors and windows, secure vehicles, and remain indoors. Do not approach. Call 911 if seen,” Pennsylvania State Police said.
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Authorities said they’re now searching a large, wooded area for Cavalcante, 34, who broke out of a Pennsylvania prison 12 days ago.

Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro on Tuesday defended police efforts to recapture him.

“Law enforcement, I think, has responded well to each and every piece of information that we got, and I’m confident we’re gonna get this guy,” Shapiro said.

The governor also urged Cavalcante to turn himself in, saying, “The gig is almost up.”

Shapiro called Cavalcante’s escape “unacceptable” and promised a full investigation into how it occurred

Police said Monday they were concerned Cavalcante will try to steal another car and they’re urging the public to check their home surveillance videos and keep their houses and cars secured.

This comes after Cavalcante snuck through a perimeter guarded by hundreds of officers, stole a van, altered his appearance and drove miles north where he tried to contact two former work colleagues.

Bivens said Cavalcante was spotted late Saturday in East Pikeland Township, more than 20 miles from where officials thought they had him pinned down in the Longwood Gardens, a sprawling horticulture attraction about 5 miles southwest of the prison he escaped from in Pocopson Township.

“No perimeter is 100% secure, ever. I’m not going to make excuses. I wish it had not happened,” Bivens said. “This is a minor setback. We’ll get him. It’s only a matter of time.”

Bivens said Cavalcante allegedly stole a white Ford work van from Baily’s Dairy on Saturday night about three-fourths of a mile from the perimeter around Longwood Gardens. He said the van was unlocked and the keys were left inside.

The van was found abandoned and out of fuel at 10:40 a.m. Sunday in a field behind a barn in East Nantmeal Township, Bivens said.

Officials released still photos from a video doorbell camera of a clean-shaven Cavalcante wearing a green hooded sweatshirt over a dark baseball hat.

Bivens said the video was taken at 9:52 p.m. Saturday at the home in East Pikeland Township, near East Nantmeal Township, that belongs to a man who once worked with Cavalcante.

“He spoke with the individual via a video doorbell at that residence and inquired about meeting with that individual,” Bivens said.

He said Cavalcante’s former colleague was not home at the time. He said that when the homeowner returned to the residence he checked the footage on his surveillance camera and called local police.

At the time he was recorded on the doorbell camera, Cavalcante was seen driving the white Ford van.

Cavalcante, according to Bivens, also showed up at another former work colleague’s home in nearby Phoenixville around 10:07 p.m. Saturday.

“That associate was not home but a female resident observed Cavalcante and called her friend. That friend responded to the residence and eventually placed a call to local police,” Bivens said.

State police were not notified for at least two hours after Saturday night’s sighting, officials said.

Bivens said Cavalcante is showing his desperation by attempting to contact associates.

“He’s absolutely looking for support. He needs that support and doesn’t have it,” Bivens said.

Bivens said on Monday that Cavalcante’s sister chose not to help in the investigation, and because she has an overstay status, she has been entered into a deportation proceeding and is being detained.

Cavalcante escaped on Aug. 31 from Chester County Prison, where he was being held after being convicted of stabbing his former girlfriend to death in broad daylight, officials said. He’s alleged to have sneaked out of the prison by “crab walking” up a wall in a prison recreation yard, pushing his way through razor wire and accessing the roof, where he climbed down and made his getaway an hour before prison guards realized he was missing, officials said.

Bivens said police are “authorized to use deadly force” if Cavalcante is cornered and refuses to surrender peacefully.

Authorities stressed that anyone who helps Cavalcante will be prosecuted.

A $25,000 reward is available.

 

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8-year-old boy accidentally shot when burn barrel with guns inside was set on fire

8-year-old boy accidentally shot when burn barrel with guns inside was set on fire
8-year-old boy accidentally shot when burn barrel with guns inside was set on fire
pablohart/Getty Images

(NEW YORK) — An 8-year-old Florida boy was accidentally shot when a burn barrel with guns inside was set on fire, authorities said.

The boy was cleaning up a backyard with his grandmother and other children at the time of the Monday incident, the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office said.

A burn barrel was filled with yard waste and then set on fire, authorities said. But two guns were under the debris in the burn barrel, and a shot went off while the boy was standing next to the barrel, according to the sheriff’s office.

The boy’s family heard two more shots as they rushed him to the hospital, authorities said.

The 8-year-old suffered a through-and-through gunshot to his lower leg and was hospitalized with non-life-threatening injuries, authorities said.

The incident “appears to be accidental and negligent,” the sheriff’s office said.

 

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