Prosecutors say suspect who threw child off balcony went to Mall of America 'looking for someone to kill'
According to court documents, Emmanuel Deshawn Aranda went to the Mall of America looking to kill an adult and the 5-year-old boy was not his original target; Alicia Acuna reports.
The 5-year-old boy who survived being thrown from a Mall of America balcony is showing signs of recovery and could go home in a couple of months, his family said Friday.
The boy is “alert and conscious” and no longer in critical condition, the family said in a statement issued through an attorney.
“We are now turning our focus to additional surgeries, healing, rehabilitation and eventually a return home, which we hope will happen by June,” the statement said, according to the New York Post.
Landen Hoffman had been in critical condition since the unprovoked April 12 attack at the Minnesota mall, according to reports.
The family’s statement also said Jesus “saved our son's life and is healing him in the most miraculous ways."
Landen Hoffman, the 5-year-old boy who was thrown nearly 40 feet from the third story balcony at the Mall of America, is said to be making a miraculous recovery. (Christian Broadcasting Service)
Prosecutors have charged 24-year-old Emmanuel Aranda with trying to kill the boy.
He has been accused of picking up the boy up and throwing him over the balcony. Landen struck the ground after plunging 40 feet.
FAMILY OF BOY THROWN FROM MALL OF AMERICA BALCONY THANKS SUPPORTERS FOR PRAYERS
Aranda and the boy were strangers.
He told police he was angry at being rejected by women and the mall and was “looking for someone to kill,” the criminal complaint says.
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Court records show Aranda was ordered to undergo psychological evaluation or treatment after earlier assaults at the mall that led to his temporary banishment.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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