Danelo Cavalcante caught behind John Deere store in Pottstown, PA; manager shows location of capture
SOUTH COVENTRY TOWNSHIP, Pa. (CBS) -- It's not something you see every day.
The area where escaped prisoner Danelo Cavalcante was finally recaptured after a 14-day manhunt is behind Little's John Deere of Pottstown, selling lawnmowers, tires and more.
The store manager, Jim Martin, said he and his employees couldn't access the store at all on Tuesday because the search perimeter for the escaped convict was locked down. Wednesday morning, they were able to get in, but the area was still swarming with police in camouflage and a helicopter was circling ahead.
READ MORE: How police ultimately recaptured Danelo Cavalcante after 14 days on the run
Martin said he knew Cavalcante could be near when he got a text message from his neighbor.
"The neighbor behind the property here, her property was searched between 1:30 and 2:30 this morning. Thermal cameras supposedly picked up a heat signal somewhere on her property. So they did a sweep of her house," Martin said. "And I guess that's where they started to narrow him in to an area, but it's literally right behind the stream."
The store is near the intersection of Route 100 (Pottstown Pike) and Prizer Road.
Martin and employees were on the loading dock watching as a crowd of police swept through behind the house.
"Everybody started to congregate back by the shed, and here they were already bringing him out," Martin said. "And then we watched them basically walk him up, one camouflaged trooper had [Cavalcante's] gun, his rifle...EMS kind of working on him in the parking lot."
Martin noticed Cavalcante was wearing an Eagles sweatshirt.
Officials said it was a combination of aircraft with thermal imaging, ground searches and K-9s that led to the successful end to the manhunt.
People stood on the sidewalks Wednesday morning cheering as law enforcement drove by in their armored trucks after Cavalcante's arrest and transport to the Pennsylvania State Police Avondale barracks.
Martin said he wasn't expecting the manhunt to be right behind his business, but he had a feeling it could happen.
READ MORE: Danelo Cavalcante caught: What's next after escaped prisoner recaptured
"It was unbelievable. It was exciting at the same time, but how does anybody expect to watch it and be right there when it happens? That was just pure luck to be at the scene," Martin said.
Martin took photos showing a massive police presence at his business when he arrived at work Wednesday morning.
Martin said he was standing 30 to 40 feet away as police led the fugitive into an armored truck.
"He looked very tired. He looked soaked -- like he was either in the stream or soaked from the rain last night. He just looked like drenched."
With Cavalcante in custody, Martin commends law enforcement on a job well done.
"Here this is like mountainous, dense," he said, gesturing to the plants and trees in the area.
"They did their job. They did exactly what they needed to do. Anybody feels it took too long, tough," he added, "If you don't know what it's like growing up in the woods, you shouldn't expect to know how easy this was."
While Martin said the business took a hit during the manhunt, he's glad his life will finally be getting back to normal now that Cavalcante is once again locked up.
