MINNEAPOLIS — The man who admitted to throwing a 5-year-old boy from a balcony at Mall of America is appealing his conviction.
Emmanuel Aranda, 24, entered a guilty plea to a charge of first-degree attempted murder in May in exchange for a 19-year sentence.
According to a criminal complaint, Aranda told police that he had planned to kill someone at the mall the day before, but it “did not work out,” so he returned to try again on April 12. He said he had planned to kill an adult, but chose the boy instead, the complaint states.
The 5-year-old boy returned home this week after four and a half months of medical care, according to his family.
Aranda's mother, Becky, told KARE 11’s Lou Raguse in June's sentencing that her son needs help for mental illness and doesn't belong in jail. She said at the May hearing that she wasn't allowed to visit Aranda, and told reporters he was acting erratically in the days leading up to the crime.
