MINNEAPOLIS — A Minneapolis man who was accused of throwing a 5-year-old boy over a third-floor balcony in the Mall of America has pleaded guilty Tuesday in court.
KSTP reported that 24-year-old Emmanuel Aranda was charged with attempted premeditated first-degree murder.
The Associated Press reported that Aranda admitted his guilt as part of a plea deal. The deal means prosecutors won't pursue an aggravated circumstances component to the charge, which could have led to another year in prison.
On April 12, the 5-year-old boy was shopping with his mother when Aranda picked the boy up and threw him over the railing.
Aranda said at a previous court appearance that he was angry after being rejected by women at the mall for years, leading him to attack 5-year-old. He told authorities he went to the mall “looking for someone to kill,” and chose Landen Hoffman at random.
Landen suffered broken arms and legs and had head trauma, but the pastor of his family's church said he had no sign of permanent damage or brain swelling. A GoFundMe page created to help with medical costs raised more than $1 million.
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