The man accused of throwing a 5-year-old over a third-floor railing at Minnesota's Mall of America pleaded guilty to the crime, according to the Hennepin County attorney's office
Emmanuel Aranda, 24, struck a plea bargain to avoid trial, said Chuck Laszewski, a spokesman for the prosecutor's office. The office intends to seek the maximum punishment for attempted first-degree murder, which is 19 years in prison, he said. Sentencing is set for June 3. As attorneys worked to hammer out the deal, Aranda conceded he intended to killed the boy, Laszewski said, recounting an exchange between the defendant and prosecutor.
The mother had never seen Aranda before, and she asked if she and her son should move.That's when Aranda picked up the boy and threw him over the railing, the complaint said.Aranda told police he had come to the mall a day earlier to kill an adult, but that didn't pan out, according to the complaint, so he returned the next day and attacked the boy instead.Aranda told police he knew his actions were wrong, the complaint said.
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