Four suspects who were wanted by New Orleans Police after a horrific carjacking that led to the death of a 73-year-old woman are now in custody.
Three of the four teenagers arrested in the carjacking and death of Linda Frickey were turned in to police by their parents. Officials have commended the parents on doing the right thing in a heart-wrenching situation that needlessly changed the lives of everyone involved.
Linda was getting ready to leave her job in the Mid-City neighborhood when she was carjacked by a 17-year-old male, a 16-year-old female, and two 15-year-old females. They got in her car and sped off so quickly that Linda was still partially in her seat belt. She was dragged by the car for more than a block before she was dislodged and her arm was severed.
Locals in the area tried to intervene in hopes to save the woman, but there was nothing that could be done.
"I got out of my vehicle screaming 'stop stop you are dragging someone,'" Todd Ecker told WDSU.
"He took off with the vehicle. Still dragging her. Reckless. No care for human beings at all."
"She was coming out of her office building putting something in her car. She got tangled in her seat belt because they did not give her time to get out," Linda's sister, Kathy Richard, told the station.
"It is disgusting. You have a 73-year-old woman just at her job. Putting things in the car. They dragged her. No forethought. Dismembered her."
"Why? She was just a good person," Kathy continued.
"She would have helped anyone off the streets. She would have given them the car if they would have just given her the chance to step away."
Linda was set to retire from her job in just a month. Her husband had just retired, with the couple looking forward to spending more time with family and each other.
"Linda should have lived to be 100 years old still helping everybody," Kathy told Fox 8.
"She didn't have the chance to see her son get married next year and her granddaughter was only 7 years old. She didn't get enough time with her. She did not deserve to go that way."
The four suspects' photos were put out publicly shortly after the incident after Linda's car was recovered and security footage in the area gave glimpses at them. Hours later, the mom of one of the 15-year-old suspects turned her daughter in. Later in the day, parents of the male 17-year-old suspect informed police where he and the 16-year-old female suspect could be found. The remaining 15-year-old female suspect turned herself in.
The four suspects were booked at the Juvenile Justice Intervention Center on March 22. Each of them is facing one count of second-degree murder. As they are minors, their identities have been protected.
"This was an incredibly difficult decision, on the behalf of these parents, and I want to commend them for doing the right thing," New Orleans Police Department Superintendent Shaun Ferguson said in a press conference on Tuesday.
"It's very painful to turn in your child for something you know they were not raised to be."
