Emmanuel Deshawn Aranda was arrested Friday at the Mall of America in Bloomington, Minnesota
The 24-year-old man accused of throwing a child over a third-floor railing at the Mall of America in Minnesota has a history of mental health problems and had twice been ordered to stay away from the mall, court records show.
Emmanuel Aranda has a long string of arrests and convictions for misdemeanor criminal offenses in recent years and in 2015 was issued a trespass notice ordering him to stay away from the Mall of America.
He ignored the order and was arrested after harassing two women diners at a restaurant and throwing water glasses at diners, according to a criminal complaint.
At the time of Friday’s attack, there was an active warrant for his arrest stemming from a 2017 assault case in Hennepin County.
Aranda was at the mall Friday, police said, when he threw or pushed the boy over the railing, sending the child some 30 feet or more onto a stone floor two levels below.
Aranda was chased down inside the mall and was taken into custody.
Witnesses say a woman at the mall was screaming hysterically after the child was thrown.
Horror: Police were called to the Mall of America in Bloomington after witnesses said an unidentified man allegedly throwing the young child from the height, before trying to flee
The 24-year-old suspect was chased down inside the mall and was taken into custody
'She was screaming 'Everyone pray, everyone pray. Oh my God, my baby, someone threw him over the edge,'' Brian Johnson told WCCO.
Emergency crews had rushed to help the child who was seen lying in a puddle of blood.
Police do not think there is any relationship between the man and the child or the child's family.
