Boy thrown from Mall of America balcony could be home by June, family says
MINNEAPOLIS — The family of a 5-year-old boy who was thrown by a stranger off a third-floor balcony at the Mall of America in Minnesota this month says he’s alert and conscious and no longer in critical condition.
The family issued a statement Friday saying Jesus has “saved our son’s life and is healing him in the most miraculous ways.” They say they’re focused now on additional surgeries, healing and rehabilitation. They hope the boy will be able to return home by June.
Prosecutors have charged 24-year-old Emmanuel Aranda with attempted premeditated first-degree murder for the April 12 attack. The boy plunged about 40 feet (12 meters) and suffered head trauma and multiple broken bones.
The family said it’s “astounded and so blessed” by donations to a GoFundMe page that had reached nearly $1 million.