Chester County man stabbed his ex-girlfriend to death while her children watched, DA says

A Chester County man has been charged with murder after he stabbed his ex-girlfriend to death on her front lawn as her children sat nearby, authorities said.

Danelo Cavalcante, 31, was arrested Monday in Virginia, where investigators say he fled after attacking Deborah Brandao outside her home in Schuylkill Township. He has been charged with first- and third-degree murder, aggravated assault, and related offenses.

He remained in custody, denied bail due to the nature of the charges. There was no indication he had hired an attorney.

District Attorney Deborah Ryan, in announcing Cavalcante’s arrest, said the killing was “a cold blooded, premeditated, and despicable act.”

“This is a heartbreaking tragedy,” she said. “Two children are now left without a mother. The pain these children and all Ms. Brandao’s loved ones are feeling because of this depravity is horrendous.”

Brandao, 33, died Sunday at Paoli Hospital, where she was taken by police after the attack. She had been stabbed more than a dozen times in her chest and torso, officials said.

Her 7-year-old daughter told detectives Cavalcante arrived unexpectedly at their home and started arguing with her mother on the front lawn, according to the affidavit of probable cause for his arrest.

Brandao had a protection-from-abuse order against Cavalcante that cited his abusive behavior, including a previous incident in which he threatened her with a knife, police said.

During the argument outside Brandao’s home Sunday, Cavalcante said he was “going to do something bad to [their] lives” and threatened to kill her, the affidavit said. He then pulled out two knives from a bag he was carrying and threw Brandao to the ground.

Her daughter and 3-year-old son were nearby during the attack, and started screaming, causing Cavalcante to throw a rock at them, the affidavit said. The girl then ran to a neighbor’s house to call for help, and watched through a window as Cavalcante fled the scene.

When detectives interviewed the girl, she identified Cavalcante from a photo lineup saying “that’s the guy that killed my mom. Please get him and put him in prison,” according to the affidavit.