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Holland said Wednesday that steps are being taken now to completely enclose the eight exercise yards at the prison, which are now open-air. He said additional security cameras will also be installed and additional officers will be on the ground to help the tower officers monitor the inmates in the exercise yards.

Nearly 400 people from multiple agencies were working on the search on Friday, the most since the manhunt started, Pennsylvania State Police Lt. Col. George Bivens told reporters.

\"We're giving this a very hard push today,\" Bivens said. \"I'm optimistic.\"

Officers shifted the perimeter west Thursday night toward Longwood Gardens after Cavalcante was sighted around noon on Thursday near the sprawling horticulture attraction, located about 5 miles southwest of the prison he escaped from, Bivens said.

There were two more confirmed sightings of Cavalcante on Friday in the search perimeter, state police said.

\"We'll keep up this search at whatever tempo is appropriate for as long as we need to,\" Bivens said. \"He's a dangerous individual.\"

\"PHOTO:
Chester County Prison via AP
PHOTO: This photo provided by the Chester County Prison shows Danelo Cavalcante.
>

A Chester County jury convicted Cavalcante on Aug. 16 of first-degree murder in the fatal 2021 stabbing in Schuylkill Township of his former girlfriend, 38-year-old Deborah Brandao. Prosecutors said Brandeo was stabbed 38 times in front of her two young children, ages 4 and 7.

Prosecutors said Brandao was killed after she learned Cavalcante was wanted for murder in Brazil and threatened to expose him to police, Chester County District Attorney Deb Ryan said in a statement following Cavalcante's conviction.

Following Brandao's murder, Cavalcante fled to Virginia, where he was arrested and brought back to Pennsylvania to face justice.

Bivens said Friday that Cavalcante is \"desperate\" but is \"no stranger to hardship.\"

\"He did something very similar to this in the jungle down there [in Brazil],\" Bivens said. \"It's not surprising to me that he's able to last out there for a little while.\"

ABC News' Bill Hutchinson contributed to this report.

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