PHOENIXVILLE, Pa. (AP) — Authorities searched Monday for an escaped murderer who has eluded capture since breaking out of a southeastern Pennsylvania prison a week and a half ago after they said over the weekend he slipped out of the search area, changed his appearance, stole a dairy delivery van and tried to contact acquaintances.

Lt. Col. George Bivens of the Pennsylvania State Police said Sunday that Danelo Souza Cavalcante stole the unlocked van, which had the keys inside, sometime Saturday night about three-quarters of a mile (1.2 kilometers) from the northern perimeter of the search area where hundreds of law enforcement officers had been searching for him.

Bivens vowed to “aggressively continue” the search with the aid of federal, state, county and local resources and expressed confidence that the fugitive would eventually be recaptured.

“This is a minor setback,” he said. “We’ll get him, it’s a matter of time.”

Baily’s Dairy said on its Facebook page that the delivery van was stolen between 7 p.m. and 10 p.m. Saturday “while we were still here working.”

The theft wasn’t noticed for hours, and in the meantime Cavalcante, 34, traveled more than 20 miles (32 kilometers) northeast to East Pikeland Township and Phoenixville. Shortly before 10 p.m. Saturday he went to an East Pikeland Township home of a person he had worked with several years ago and asked to meet with him, police said.

The homeowner, who was at dinner with his family and didn’t respond, called police after returning home and reviewing his doorbell video. Shortly after 10 p.m. Saturday, police said, Cavalcante went to the Phoenixville area home of another former work associate, who wasn’t home, police said.

Doorbell video images showed Cavalcante to be now clean-shaven and wearing a yellow or green hooded sweatshirt, black baseball cap, green prison pants and white shoes, police said. The stolen van was found at 10:40 a.m. Sunday in a field behind a barn in East Nantmeal Township, about 15 miles (24 kilometers) west of Phoenixville.

Bivens said he believed Cavalcante abandoned the vehicle at least in part because it was low on fuel. While law enforcement was searching the immediate area for any signs of him authorities were concerned that he would attempt to obtain another vehicle or had already done so.

“I do not have a report of a stolen vehicle; I anticipate that we will,” he said.

Cavalcante, 34, escaped from the Chester County Prison while awaiting transfer to state prison on Aug. 31 after being sentenced to life for fatally stabbing his ex-girlfriend in 2021. Prosecutors say he wanted to stop her from telling police that he’s wanted in a killing in his home country of Brazil.

Police on Saturday had reported two more confirmed sightings of Cavalcante within the search area around the Longwood Gardens botanical park, the center of the search in recent days. Bivens said Friday that about 400 personnel were taking part in the search, including tactical teams, tracking dogs, and officers on horseback as well as aircraft.

Despite the massive searches, Bivens said the area had some underground tunnels and “very large drainage ditches” that were impossible to secure completely. Police had been planning to use close to 600 personnel Monday for “one massive sweep” of the search area, he said.

Authorities have described Cavalcante as extremely dangerous. Police are asking anyone with information to call 911. A $20,000 reward is being offered for information leading to his capture.

Authorities on Friday announced the firing of the prison tower guard on duty when Cavalcante scaled a wall by crab-walking up from the recreation yard, climbed over razor wire, ran across a roof and jumped to the ground. His escape went undetected for more than an hour until guards took a headcount.

Cavalcante’s escape and the search has attracted international attention and became big news in Brazil, where prosecutors in Tocantins state say he’s accused of “double qualified homicide” in the 2017 slaying of Válter Júnior Moreira dos Reis in Figueirópolis, which they allege was over a debt the victim owed him in connection with repair of a vehicle.

Bruce Springsteen and The E Street Band perform on tour at MetLife Stadium on Wednesday, Aug. 30, 2023, in East Rutherford, N.J. (Photo by Scott Roth/Invision/AP)

Bruce Springsteen says he needs to postpone concerts this month because of peptic ulcer disease. That’s a condition marked by open sores that develop on the inside lining of the stomach. It causes symptoms like stomach pain, heartburn, bloating and nausea. Doctors say the most common cause is long-term use of anti-inflammatory pain relievers. The condition can be treated with over-the-counter medications and most people typically heal within four to six weeks.

A package of Paqui OneChipChallenge spicy tortilla chips is seen on Thursday, Sept. 7, 2023, in Boston. Authorities are raising the alarm about a OneChipChallenge social media trend that encourages people to avoid seeking relief from eating and drinking for as long as possible after eating the chips, days after a Massachusetts teenager died hours after taking part in the challenge. The dare is popular on social media sites, with scores of people including children unwrapping the packaging, eating the chips and reacting to the heat. (AP Photo/Steve LeBlanc)

WORCESTER, Mass. (AP) — Authorities are raising the alarm about a social media challenge in which people eat extremely spicy chips and attempt to avoid eating or drinking anything for as long as possible. Worcester County District Attorney Joseph Early took to the social network X, formerly known as Twitter, on Wednesday to encourage parents to talk to their children about the One Chip Challenge. A Massachusetts teenager died last week after his family said he ingested one of the spicy chips. Although the cause of the teen’s death has not been determined and an autopsy is pending, Paqui, The Texas-based company that makes the chips, has asked retailers to pull the product from their shelves.

Dr. Richard Moriarty, creator of Mr. Yuk, shows his Mr. Yuk money clip at Carnegie Museum of Natural History, Botany Hall, Thursday, June 1, 2023, in Oakland, Pa. Moriarty passed away on Thursday, Sept. 7, according to Jeffrey Fugh of the funeral home John A. Freyvogel Sons Inc., which is handling arrangements in Pittsburgh. (John Colombo /Pittsburgh Post-Gazette via AP)

PITTSBURGH (AP) — A retired pediatrician from Pittsburgh who helped create the ‘Mr. Yuk’ poison warning for kids has died. Dr. Richard W. Moriarty was 83. The funeral home handling arrangements says he died Thursday. Moriarty was involved in establishing and developing the Pittsburgh Poison Center, where he served as director. He has said children in focus groups responded strongly to Mr. Yuk’s bright green color and upset face. He said in an interview that: “the Mr. Yuk symbol was designed by kids for kids.” The poison awareness campaign began in 1971.

Two firefighters stand on the debris around the smoldering wreckage of the the three houses that exploded in Plum, Pa., on Aug. 12, 2023. Three houses at the center of a recent explosion near Pittsburgh that killed six people will need to be torn down and 10 others are not currently inhabitable, county officials said over the weekend. (Samuel Long/Pittsburgh Post-Gazette via AP, file)

PLUM, Pa. (AP) — Investigators say the location of an explosion that killed six people and destroyed three houses near Pittsburgh last month was inside one of the homes, and they’re ruling out an outside cause. The Allegheny County fire marshal’s office said Friday all potential outside factors were eliminated, including wells, pipelines and other utilities. They’re pinpointing the source as a home in Plum Borough. The cause of the explosion remains under investigation and they’re offering no time frame for when the probe will be completed. That house and two others are so badly damaged they must be demolished. All of the victims were found at the home.

(Matt Drzik/Beaver County Radio)

“The recovery is not over, and while Norfolk Southern and other massive railroads would like the public to forgive and forget the toxic derailment, we’re not going to let them.”

Congressman Chris DeLuzio (PA-17) spoke at the Darlington Township Fire Department on Friday morning about the growing support and continued push regarding the Railway Safeway Act, created in response to the toxic Norfolk Southern train derailment that occurred in nearby East Palestine in February of this year. DeLuzio was flanked by Darlington Township supervisor Mike Carreon and TWU member Dennis Sabina, who also spoke at the press conference.

Deluzio was adamant about why the bill is necessary: “If a company can afford to pay their CEO four million dollars and provide billions in stock buybacks, it can afford to better protect our communities,” he stated. “It’s clear…we cannot trust the big railroads to regulate themselves. They’re always going to put their profits ahead of all of us.”

In order to combat the profit-focused mindset that major railroads have exhibited, a major component of Deluzio’s bill sets higher penalties for companies that do not comply to proper safety procedures. “Under current law, the max fine ranges from $100,000-$250,000. My bill says that the maximum fine is one percent of a railroad’s operating revenue,” he explained. According to Deluzio, that would result in $47 million in fines for Norfolk Southern dating back to 2022.

“I think that is part of what we have to do,” he added, “not just to make rails safer in terms of requirements, [but] there have to be penalties when they break laws…penalties that matter more than just some rounding error.”

Additionally, the bill calls for a minimum staff of two persons per freight train, to strengthen safety requirements for the transport of hazardous substances, increases the frequency of inspections, and increases support for first responders in local communities.

Congressman Deluzio’s bill has gained bipartisan support from a number of fellow politicians, including Ohio Governor Mike DeWine, Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro, current President Joe Biden and former President Donald Trump. The bill was introduced to the House of Representatives by Deluzio along with New York State Representative Nick LaLota (NY-1).