The mother of one of the teenage carjackers who dragged a 73-year-old woman to her death in New Orleans, Louisiana, is speaking out in support of her child.
Four teenagers – ages 15 to 17 – carjacked Linda Frickey as she sat in her SUV after leaving work at 1:30 p.m. Monday.
RELATED: Four teens arrested in carjacking death of 73-year-old woman
Surveillance video shows the teens approach Frickey’s SUV after surrounding the vehicle. One of the suspects, identified by police as John Honore, 17, snatched open the driver’s side door and sprayed a substance in Frickey’s face.
He then pulled the elderly woman out of the SUV and began kicking and punching the helpless woman as she lay on the ground.
His three accomplices hopped into the SUV while Honore beat Frickey. He then got into the driver’s seat and drove off, dragging Frickey whose arm was caught in the seat belt.
Frickey was freed from the seat belt after her arm separated from her body. She was pronounced dead at the scene by medics who arrived about 30 minutes later.
After police released surveillance video of the suspects, the mothers of two of the suspects turned them in on Monday night. A tip led police to a third suspect late Monday. The fourth suspect – a 15-year-old girl – turned herself in on Tuesday morning.
Honore, the driver of the stolen vehicle, was previously arrested for a carjacking when he was 15 years old. But the charges were dropped in 2021 by Orleans Parish District Attorney Jason Williams because the victim was a family member and didn’t want to press charges.
As news of the horrific crime spread on social media, the public expressed outrage at the brutality of the crime committed by suspects so young.
In an Instagram post, the mother of one of the female suspects defended her daughter and stated she would stand by her.
“Y’all sit on this Internet and say y’all hope this and that happen to my child. I never tried to justify [what] she did and I’m very sorry this lady lost her life but that’s my child and I’m standing beside her every step of the way,” she wrote.
“Never was I a bad parent. I got a son [with] a 4.0 [gpa] graduating at the top of his class. So my parenting ain’t f***ing bad, My child just got caught up in a lifestyle that now she have to deal [with] the consequences the rest of her life.”
All four teens face 2nd-degree murder charges. They are being held without bond and will be tried as adults.
CAUTION: The following videos contain scenes of violence.
Linda Frickey, RIP: 73-Yr-Old Grandmother ‘Carjacked, Beat And Lynched’ by Four ‘Teens’ in New Orleans
All four teens had prior arrests and one was charged in relation to another carjacking but had charges dropped last year by Orleans Parish District Attorney Jason Williams pic.twitter.com/jAbnSMSlyl
— The Night Show ?? (@TheNightShowUS) March 23, 2022
