Man Who Threw Boy Off Mall Balcony Gets His Sentence

No trial: The man who threw an unsuspecting boy off a third-floor balcony at the Mall of America pleaded guilty Tuesday to attempted first-degree premeditated murder, reports KSTP. As a result, 24-year-old Emmanuel Aranda, will serve 19 years in prison for the April attack that severely injured a 5-year-old boy identified as Landon. In court documents, Aranda confessed that he went to the mall in Bloomington, Minn., that day intent on killing an adult, but switched to the boy instead.

The young victim remains hospitalized but is now alert and conscious, reports the Minneapolis Star Tribune. His family says he still faces surgeries and rehabilitation, but they hope to have him back home in June. A GoFundMe page to help with medical expenses has raised more than $1 million. Aranda's mother says her son has mental health issues, and authorities have not discussed why he set out to kill a stranger. (More Mall of America stories.)