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| Five year old Landen Hoffmann is fighting for his life in a Minneapolis hospital with head trauma and multiple broken bones after the 40-foot fall. Daily Mail |
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Incel thows child off 3rd floor balcony "as revenge for years of being rejected by women"
Daily Mail
April 15, 2019
Area: Minneapolis, St. Paul
BLOOMINGTON, Minnesota - A man who 'threw five-year-old boy off a balcony at Mall of America' tells police he went there intending to kill as revenge for years of being rejected by women at the shopping center.
A man accused of throwing a five-year-old boy off a third-floor balcony at the Mall of America allegedly told police he went to there looking for someone to kill as revenge for being rejected by women at the Minnesota shopping center for several years.
Emmanuel Aranda, 24, has been charged with attempted premeditated first-degree murder for Friday's attack, according to Bloomington police.
He is expected to appear in court on Tuesday, where prosecutors will seek bail of $2million.
Meanwhile, little Landen Hoffmann is fighting for his life in a Minneapolis hospital with head trauma and multiple broken bones from the nearly 40-foot fall.
A criminal complaint filed in Hennepin County on Monday says Landen and his mother were standing outside a restaurant when Aranda came close to them, picked up the child and tossed him over the balcony.
The complaint says Aranda told police he had been coming to the mall for several years seeking to talk to women, but had been rejected and it caused him to lash out.
A bystander who police say witnessed Aranda push the child chased him down before the suspect shoved him against a wall.
Aranda kept running until police were able to capture him on the light-rail train outside the mall.
When he was being arrested, the suspect reportedly remained calm and did not question why police had stopped him.
Aranda allegedly told police that he knew what he was planning to do was wrong.
He said he came up with the idea to kill someone one day earlier and was planning to target an adult because 'they usually stand near the balcony', the complaint said.
The suspect's uncle, Francis Aranda, told KSTP-TV that his nephew had displayed violent tendencies since childhood.
'He has a serious mental problem, he was diagnosed as a child,' the relative said.
He added: 'We are going to pray for that baby [Landen] because what happened is so unfortunate, but it's going to bring light to mental illness, I hope he [Aranda] doesn't go to jail, he needs help.'
Bloomington Police confirmed Aranda had been banned from the mall twice before, but the most recent ban had since expired.
Aranda's criminal record includes two convictions in 2015 for obstruction of the legal process/interfering with a peace officer, as well as convictions for fifth-degree assault, trespassing and damage to property.
Court records show Aranda was arrested on July 4, 2015, after police said he matched the description of a man throwing things off the upper level of the Mall of America to the lower level.
Police say Aranda refused to give his name and resisted arrest during that incident.
He was also accused of walking into a store and sweeping his hand across a display table, breaking glasses.
In October 2015, Aranda was accused of throwing glasses in Twin Cities Grill in the mall.
The complaint says Aranda approached a woman who was waiting for the restaurant to open and asked her to buy him something.
The woman refused, and Aranda allegedly threw a glass of water in her face and a glass of tea that struck her leg.
Aranda was under a trespass notice at the time banning him from the mall until July 4, 2016.
Police said there is also a warrant for Aranda's arrest in Illinois for assault stemming from an incident at a Chicago restaurant when he allegedly threatened to slit a employee's neck.
According to his LinkedIn profile, Aranda has been employed as a janitor for Personnel Plus for the past two years.
It also says he is pursuing a psychology degree at Minneapolis Community and Technical College and expects to graduate in 2022.
Landen's loved ones reported that doctors had removed his spleen and that he has many surgeries ahead of him.
A GoFundMe campaign for the youngster from Woodbury, Minnesota, has raised more than $590,000 as of Monday afternoon.
'His soul is soft and gentle and instantly brings a smile to everybody he meets,' according to the GoFundMe page.
'He is full of energy and life and enjoys soccer, playing with friends and family and playing hockey with his brother and sister.'
They wrote in a post Sunday that the youngster 'is still continuing to fight'.
In the update loved ones said: 'We are all completely overwhelmed with the love and support that has come our way during this tragic time.
'He had a peaceful sleep and is still continuing to fight his courageous battle, he's a strong survivor!'
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