Who Is Emmanuel Deshawn? New Details About The Man Who Threw A 5-Year-Old Boy From A Mall Balcony
He's been charged with attempted homicide.
Bloomington Police Department A man faces charges of attempted homicide after police say he critically injured a 5-year-old boy at the Mall of American in Minnesota on Friday, April 12.
Emmanuel Deshawn Aranda, 24, reportedly push or threw the young child from a third-floor balcony. The child landed on the first level of the mall, and Aranda took off running. He was quickly caught by police who took him into custody.
The child was injured and is currently in the hospital with head trauma and multiple broken bones.
“The child did suffer significant injuries,” said the police chief. “The child has been transported to the hospital and has been receiving care.”
The mall's management made a statement about the incident that afternoon.
“Earlier today, Mall of America security was notified of an incident involving a child falling from one of the upper floors," it read. "Mall Security responded immediately as well as the Bloomington Police Department. Emergency Services were notified and responded as well. The child was treated at the scene and transported to the hospital. Bloomington Police is investigating the incident."
So who is Emmanuel Deshawn? Here's everything we know.
1. He had previously been banned from the mall.
This isn't Aranda's first run-in with the police — or the Mall of America.
Back in July 2015, police responded to a call about a man who was "throwing things off of the upper level of the mall to the lower level." Aranda resisted arrest and refused to tell police his name.
A Bare Minerals employee witnessed the incident and told police that Aranda "walked into the store, and without saying anything, swept his hand across a display table, knocking off and breaking two containers of lip gloss valued at $18.00 each and three shot glasses valued at $2.00 each."
He was later convicted of fifth-degree assault and interfering with an officer of the peace. He was also ordered not to return to the Mall of America for a year.
2. He was arrested for smashing a computer.
Just one month later, Aranda was arrested without incident after he smashed computer parts at a local library. He told his arresting officers that he "got angry after he read something on the Facebook."
Court records show that he pleaded guilty to first-degree property damage and served 28 days in prison. He also had to pay restitution and undergo anger management training.
3. Then he was arrested again in the Mall of America.
That same year in October, Aranda was arrested for his third time for throwing drinks at a woman inside a Mall of America restaurant. The complaint states that he had asked her to buy him "something to eat or at least give him some money."
He was asked by restaurant employees to leave when he allegedly grabbed full glasses of ice water and tea and started to throw them at the woman.
He pleaded guilty to fifth-degree assault and interfering with an officer of the peace.
4. He went there intending to kill someone.
According to police, he told authorities that his intent at being the mall that day was to kill someone but it "didn't work out." He had also planned to kill an adult but chose to throw the child instead.
"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 read.
5. He has undergone psychological evaluations.
Court records show that in his previous crimes committed at the Mall of America, Aranda was ordered to undergo a psychological evaluation. He was also previously arrested in 2014 for aggravated assault with a deadly weapon at a Golden Nugget restaurant.
He reportedly beat an employee there with a telephone when she threatened to call police about his bill. He also pulled a knife on a person who intervened. He was sentenced to 18 months' probation.
Aranda will make his first court appearance Tuesday afternoon.
Emily Blackwood is a writer and editor living in California. She covers all things news, pop culture and true crime.