Police: 4 teens accused of carjacking woman outside Hickory mall arrested in Florida

HICKORY, N.C. — Four teens accused of carjacking a woman in broad daylight as she went to shop at a Hickory mall have been arrested in Florida, police said.

On Monday, Geneva Jarrett, 83, said she had just parked outside the Valley Hills Mall near Highway 70 in southeast Hickory when a man holding a gun appeared out of nowhere and demanded her keys.

“He pointed the gun at me … to my face but he didn’t touch me,” Jarrett said. “And all he said … the only words he said was ‘keys … keys … keys.’”

Fortunately, Jarrett wasn’t hurt and ran into a Dillard’s store as the suspect took off with her car.

Hickory police said they were searching for a 2001 burgundy Buick Century.

On Thursday, deputies in Florida said they spotted the car at a gas station in Palm Coast. Authorities said there were four teenagers in the car, including a boy, 15; a girl, 15; a girl, 16; and a boy, 17.

Police also said the 15-year-old boy matched the robbery suspect’s destruction, and they found a gun on him.

Police said the 17-year-old and the two girls were reported missing to the Hickory Police Department. The 15-year-old boy had been reported missing to the Long View Police Department.

All four teens were charged with grand theft of a motor vehicle. The 15-year-old boy was also charged with carrying a concealed weapon while committing a felony.

Police are working with Florida deputies to bring the teens back to North Carolina.

Jarret told Channel 9′s Dave Faherty she just wants her car back and supportive guidance for the suspect if he is caught.

“I didn’t get so shook up until I got home. I hope he doesn’t do it to anyone else like that. I hope he gets help if they catch him,” Jarrett said.

Despite more than a dozen cameras outside the mall, Channel 9 learned there is no video of the carjacking.

Cameras can be seen just about everywhere you look at the Valley Hills Mall, but workers at the mall told Faherty none of the outside cameras are currently recording.

Shoppers said it makes them think twice about visiting the mall.

“If they have cameras up, they should be recording 24/7,” Ashley Hefner said.

Security could be seen patrolling the parking decks on Wednesday and call boxes are around the parking lot in case of emergency.

Channel 9 reached out to mall management about video surveillance at the property and has not heard back.

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Detectives investigate armed robbery, kidnapping, sexual battery in west Charlotte

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