BLOOMINGTON, Minnesota — A family visiting the Mall of America last week has since been spending time at the Children's Minnesota Hospital with its 5-year-old son, who is recovering after being the randomly chosen victim of a heinous crime.
Police said a man unknown to the family grabbed the 5-year-old boy and threw him over the third-floor balcony inside the mall, allowing him to forcefully fall 40 feet to the ground.
The child survived and is undergoing intensive health care — he has been hospitalized since the incident April 12.
The man who has admitted to harming the boy is 24-year-old Emmanuel Deshawn Aranda, who said he had been looking for someone to kill. He told police he was tired of being rejected by women at the mall and this act was out of that anger.
The child's mom told authorities at the scene the family was outside of the Rainforest Cafe when Aranda approached them and picked up the child without warning.
The man had already been banned from the Mall of America in his past: He was twice convicted in 2015 for assaults he committed at the shopping center.
Aranda is charged with attempted homicide.
A GoFundMe page has been launched by a family friend to help with medical expenses and rehabilitation. The goal of $500,000 has already been surpassed.
