Woman accused of trying to abduct babies from hospitals in NC, SC makes court appearance
WILMINGTON, NC (WECT) - The woman who officials feared may have been trying to abduct a baby from hospitals in the Carolinas had her first court appearance Monday afternoon for charges stemming from an incident at New Hanover Regional Medical Center last month.
Linda Mae Everett, 36, of Archdale, is charged with three counts of felony breaking and entering, and one count of misdemeanor larceny.
Prosecutors allege that on April 5, Everett sneaked in behind another person who was entering patient care areas in the Betty H. Cameron Women's and Children's Hospital. NHRMC police believed Everett was there to abduct babies.
According to a previous NHRMC statement regarding the incident, Everett was originally denied entry at the check-in desk and was later stopped by hospital staff after seeing Everett did not have a visitor's badge.
NHRMC police were alerted and questioned Everett, who was eventually charged with breaking into three rooms and stealing Bibles from the hospital gift shop.
No patients were injured or endangered, according to hospital officials.
In a phone interview last month with WECT, Everett denied she was trying to abduct a baby and claimed she went to the hospital to drop off Bibles for the newborns.
A little more than a week after the incident at NHRMC, the North Carolina Information Sharing and Analysis Center (ISAAC) issued a bulletin on April 13 saying Everett "is believed to be going to neonatal units of hospitals in North and South Carolina possibly in attempts to abduct a child."
During Monday's court appearance, prosecutors said Everett has been banned from hospitals in Greensboro, NC, Greenville, NC, High Point, NC and Myrtle Beach, SC, for similar incidents. Prosecutors also said she's used multiple aliases in the past and has prior arrests in Georgia on fraud charges.
When asked to speak in court on her behalf, Everett denied she would ever try to steal a child.
"I'm not, in no way, ever tried to steal a baby. I'm pregnant myself. I would never do that. I have children and I've had a son taken from me. He passed away," Everett said.
Prosecutors urged the judge not to increase Everett's bond, but instead, as part of a pre-trial agreement, ban her from visiting any hospital unless she is seeking care for herself. The judge granted the request and subjected her to electronic monitoring.
If Everett violates the agreement, she will be jailed under a $50,000 bond.
Her next court appearance will be June 7.
Copyright 2018 WECT. All rights reserved.
