Courtesy photo. Linda McCorkle, 48, of Chillum, was arrested Jan. 26 in New York City by U.S. Marshals for robbing an 84-year-old woman in Langley Park on Jan. 12.

Published on: Thursday, February 02, 2012

By Jim Davis

U.S. Marshals in New York City arrested Linda McCorkle, 48, of Chillum, last Thursday for the armed robbery of an elderly woman in Langley Park.

On Jan. 12, an 84-year-old woman at a Langley Park shopping center was approached by a woman with three young children and was told they had no food or a place to stay. The woman, who police have identified as McCorkle, displayed a check and asked if the elderly woman would cash it for her.

“Once the elderly woman agreed to help the woman with children, they got into the 84-year-old woman’s car. At that point, a second woman approached the vehicle and took the three children away,” said Capt. Marc Alexander, assistant commander of Prince George’s County Police Department’s District I.

The two drove to the Bank of America in Langley Park, police said. Once they arrived at the bank, McCorkle allegedly refused to give the check that she had originally showed the elderly woman to cash.    She allegedly then told the victim she had a gun and ordered her to withdraw money from her account. The two walked into the bank and while the 84-year-old woman was withdrawing thousands of dollars from her account, the suspect was standing next to her talking to her.

“The suspect was so smooth, the teller had no idea there was anything wrong,” Alexander said.

Once they left the bank, the victim drove the thief back to the Langley Park shopping center, from which she fled the scene.

Julie Parker, a Prince George’s County police spokesperson, said several tipsters called to identify McCorkle as the 84-year-old woman’s attacker after news outlets published or aired surveillance footage of her.

“Our phones immediately started ringing,” Parker said. “The information that came in as a result of the intense media coverage helped lead us to this suspect.”

McCorkle will be charged with armed robbery and second-degree assault.