5-Year-Old Boy Thrown From Mall of America Is Alert and Not in Critical Condition, Says Family

A sign at the Mall of America, the largest in the United States, is seen in a 2006 file photo. (Tim Gans/AFP/Getty Images)

The family of the 5-year-old boy who was thrown from a Mall of America balcony is alert and is not in critical condition any longer, according to local reports.

Earlier this month, the boy, named Landen, was allegedly tossed from a third-floor balcony at the Minnesota mall and dropped at least 30 feet, suffering serious injuries.

The family, in a statement on April 26, said he is responsive and out of critical condition. They hope he will be back home by June 2019, KELOLand reported.

“Please keep praying for our son,” the family told CBS Minnesota.

The family also thanked the tens of thousands of people who donated to a GoFundMe page set up for the child, which raised about $1 million.

Pastor Mac Hammond said Landen, whose last name hasn’t been revealed, has no signs of brain damage or swelling, according to CBS.

Hammond said a physician looking over the child said his recovery is “truly a miracle.”

The suspect, Emmanuel Aranda, faces a felony charge of attempted premeditated first-degree murder. He returns to court on May 14.

On the GoFundMe page, the family said on April 24 that “God’s hand is working” and added that “prayers are working.”

“Our son remains in intensive care, under sedation and under close monitoring as we stay patient to allow him to heal,” the update said.

Aranda, 24, apparently was angry because he was rejected by women at the Mall of America and was “looking for someone to kill” when he tossed the child, said a criminal complaint in mid-April.

Aranda has two past convictions for assaults at the mall, both in 2015, including one in which he threw a glass of water and glass of tea at a woman who refused to buy him something. Aranda at one point was banned from the mall, according to The Associated Press.

A file photo shows four stories inside of the Mall of America in Bloomington, Minn., outside of Minneapolis. (Bill Pugliano/Liason)

Court records show that Aranda had been ordered to undergo psychological evaluation or treatment after the earlier mall assaults.

The boy’s mother told police that Aranda came up very close to her group as they stood outside the Rainforest Cafe restaurant. She said she asked him if they were in his way and should move, and he picked up the child without warning and threw him off the balcony, according to the complaint.

“Defendant indicated he had been coming to the Mall for several years and had made efforts to talk to women in the Mall, but had been rejected, and the rejection caused him to lash out and be aggressive,” the complaint added.

A mailing address was also provided by the family to people who want to send cards to the child:

Prayers for Landen PO Box 43516 Brooklyn Park, MN 55443-4200