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Man pleads guilty in Mall of America attack against child

por Amoldo Sanabria·May 15, 2019 03:28
Emmanuel Aranda

Emmanuel Aranda

Emmanuel Aranda, of Minneapolis, admitted his guilt as part of a plea agreement Tuesday. Prosecutors agreed to drop an aggravated circumstances charge against Aranda in exchange for his guilty plea, which could have added another year to his prison term.

Emmanuel Aranda, 24, faces 19 years behind bars after admitting to grabbing little Landen Hoffmann, hefting him up and throwing him almost 40 feet to the floor of the sprawling shopping center - leaving the child with head trauma and multiple broken bones.

The child was treated for broken ribs and head trauma at a local hospital.

He's scheduled to be sentenced onJune 3, according to Fox News. Prosecutor Cheri Ann Townsend said the boy's family supports the deal. Last month, he went back to the mall intent on hurting someone because women kept rejecting him, according to the criminal complaint.

He had two previous convictions for assaults at the mall, both in 2015, and had been banned from the property at one point. Court records showed that Aranda had been ordered to undergo psychological evaluation or treatment after those assaults, and his attorney Paul Sellers said Aranda had been in mental health court.

Aranda was charged with first-degree premeditated attempt to commit murder.

"He is competent, clearly". This could mean Aranda skirts an extra year of prison.

Aranda, wearing an orange jail jumpsuit, spoke quietly during a hearing Tuesday while giving yes-or-no answers to questions aimed at making sure he understood what he was admitting.

The child plunged nearly 40 feet and suffered head trauma and multiple broken bones.

The boy injured in the incident was alert and conscious, according an April 26 update from a family representative.

In a statement on May 13, the family stated that Landen "continues to heal" and they asked for "continued prayers and privacy".