Police: 5-year-old pushed or Thrown from 3rd Floor of Mall of America

BLOOMINGTON, Minn. — A 24-year-old Minneapolis man suspected of throwing or pushing a 5-year-old boy from a balcony at the Mall of America was charged in two previous incidents at the mall.

Emmanuel Deshawn Aranda took off running after allegedly throwing the child onto the first floor. He was quickly arrested on attempted homicide charges at the mall’s light rail station. Police say the five-year-old suffered life-threatening injuries and was taken to the hospital.

Aranda was arrested in July 2015 for throwing things off the upper level of the mall to the lower level. In October 2015, he was accused of throwing glass of water in a woman’s face and a glass of tea that hit her leg. He was banned from the mall until July 2016.

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BLOOMINGTON, Minn. (FOX 9) – A five-year-old child was critically injured after he was either thrown or pushed from the third floor of the Mall of America Friday morning, according to the Bloomington Police Department.

At 10:17 a.m., police were called to the southeast corner of the mall for a child who had fallen and landed on the first floor. Witnesses told officers a man had either pushed or thrown the child from the third floor, then took off running, Chief Jeff Potts said at a news conference.

Officers rendered aid to the child and he was taken to Children’s Hospital.

The suspect, a 24-year-old man, was arrested inside the mall.

Potts said there is no relationship between the suspect and the child or the child’s family. Investigators are working to determine what led to the child being thrown or pushed.

Police believe this was an isolated incident and there is no danger to the public.

The investigation is ongoing.