Four teens arrested in connection to carjacking of 73-year-old New Orleans woman who was dragged to death

Four teenagers have been arrested in connection to the carjacking of a 73-year-old woman that resulted in her being dragged to death behind her car.

According to the New Orleans Police Department, the incident occurred at around 1:30 pm on Monday afternoon, in the 300 block of North Scott Street, New Orleans.

Upon their arrival at the scene, police said that they found the victim, Linda Frickey, lying on the ground unresponsive, "and suffering from her arm being dismembered from her body."

Frickey was pronounced dead at the scene. Her car was later discovered abandoned around 15 blocks away, on the corner of Dumaine and North Dupre streets in the Bayou St. John neighborhood.

In a Tuesday news conference, New Orleans Police Superintendent Shaun Ferguson said that Frickey got tangled in her seatbelt when she was carjacked, and was subsequently dragged behind her car, "which caused her arm to be severed from our body."

He said that Frickey was dragged to the 300 block of North Pierce Street.

He announced that four arrests had been made in connection to the incident: a 17-year-old male, a 16-year-old female, and two 15-year-old females.

Ferguson said that the four individuals are facing second-degree murder charges for their actions.

He added that their arrests came after a call for community help. The parents of one of the 15-year-old females called investigators to turn their daughter in. He said that the parents of the 17-year-old male turned their son in as well, after which they executed a search warrant in the third district, and located the 17-year-old, as well as the 16-year-old female.

Ferguson added that within the last few hours before the press conference, the last 15-year-old female turned herself in.

"This was an incredibly difficult decision on behalf of these parents. And I want to commend them for doing the right thing, and absolutely we need more parenting like that," Ferguson said.

It has not been revealed yet whether the teens will be charged as adults.

"That's a conversation that my team will have with the district attorney's office," Ferguson said at a Tuesday morning news conference. "I would say absolutely, I encourage, I will ask, that they be charged as adults. ... I mean, look at the nature of the crime."

Witnesses at the scene spoke to reporters about the brutal incident.

"I heard screaming, like 'you're-going-to-die' screaming," Austin Northcott told 4WWL. "Just not a normal scream."

"It’s Monday at 1 pm in the afternoon. Everyone is out getting lunch, not worried about whether or not they’re going to live or not," Northcott said.

Neighbors Leanne and Mark Mascar saw the carjacking and ran over to help.

"She was still breathing. She was very slowly breathing," Leanne Mascar said.

Witness Todd Ecker told 4WWL that he tried to call 911 for help, but never reached anyone.

"Unfortunately, the phone rang for four minutes and 45 seconds before I hung up," Ecker said.

"It was the most grotesque, surreal, horrific thing I’ve ever seen. Complete reckless abandonment. No regard for human life," he said.

Ecker added that another witness eventually got through to emergency dispatchers, but Mascar said it took almost 15 minutes before paramedics arrived.

"She’s still breathing. I can feel a pulse. And the anger was like, 'Where the hell is the ambulance?'" Mark Mascar said. "I kept hearing loads of cops show up, but no ambulance."

"What occurred to 73-year-old Linda Frickey was heinous and unthinkable," Orleans Parish District Attorney Jason Williams said in a statement to FOX Television Stations.  

"I can’t help, but think of my own mother and other elders in our community. While we will allow the NOPD to complete a thorough investigation, any and all persons that the evidence shows participated in the murder of this elder will be prosecuted to the absolute fullest extent of the law," he added.