Boy thrown from Mall of America balcony moved to rehab

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) – The family of a 5-year-old boy who survived being thrown from a third-floor balcony at the Mall of America in April says he finally has been moved out of intensive care and into a rehabilitation program.

The boy, identified only as Landen, has been at Children’s Hospital in Minneapolis since he was thrown nearly 40 feet to the ground by Emmanuel Aranda.

The family said on their CaringBridge site that Landen is now in an inpatient program at another hospital. The family says there’s hard work ahead, but that Landen “is strong and his spirit remains vibrant.”

Aranda pleaded guilty to attempted premeditated first-degree murder and was sentenced to 19 years in prison. He told investigators he went to the Bloomington mall “looking for someone to kill” after women had rejected his advances.

AP-WF-08-02-19 1552GMT