Man is charged with beating man to death with a brick

Police yesterday arrested the man they said beat to death a 38-year-old landscaper with seven children last week in West Philadelphia and then made off with the victim's wallet.

The suspect is the man seen - with two small boys in tow - on a widely circulated surveillance video buying three fitted baseball caps during a shopping spree about an hour after Corey Moody was bashed on the head with a brick, police said.

Billy Langley, 19, who police said has a record of violent crime, was arrested without incident about 5 p.m. in Southwest Philadelphia.

Homicide Capt. James Clark last night credited the public and the media with helping the police find Langley.

People began calling in with information soon after police released the surveillance video on Wednesday, he said.

"The tip was directly from the surveillance," Clark said. "It led us right to him."

Clark said no other arrests were expected.

The video, shot last Friday afternoon, shows a man mugging in front of a mirror with newly bought jewelry paid for with Moody's credit card. He also used the card to pay for the baseball caps, and altogether charged $500 to $600 to the victim's account, police said.

"It's extremely satisfying to get this guy off the streets," Clark said. "This is a dangerous person."

Clark said investigators believe Langley might have known Moody, but he declined to elaborate. As for Langley's criminal history, Clark declined to discuss it.

Police found Langley about 5 p.m. yesterday in a house on the 6100 block of Yocum Street in Southwest Philadelphia. Clark would not say whose house it was, but said it was not Langley's.

Moody, who is father or stepfather to seven children, was killed near 48th and Market Streets about 4:30 p.m. last Friday as he was walking home to North Philadelphia from his job at the Kirkbride Rehabilitation Center in West Philadelphia.

Investigators said Langley approached Moody as he crossed a vacant lot near the Market-Frankford El and hit Moody in the head several times with a brick.

Moody died at the scene.

Police recovered the bloodied brick during their investigation.

An hour after after the attack, surveillance cameras captured Langley entering a clothing store on 52d Street near Market accompanied by two boys who appeared to be preteens.

In the footage, Langley was seen showing off a long chain with a pendant in the shape of a lock dotted with fake gems and an oversized fake designer watch he had bought at another store shortly before entering the clothing store.

Clark declined to identify the boys or talk about their relationship with the suspect.

Langley, who was being held without bail last night, was charged with murder, robbery, fraud and related offenses.