Man Who Threw Kid Off MOA Balcony Sentenced to 19 Years
Emmanuel Aranda pleaded guilty to the crime of throwing a 5 year old boy off a balcony at the Mall of America. He was sentenced on Monday June 3rd to 19 years in prison. He is mandated to serve at least 12 of those years with credit for his 53 days already in custody.
According to Kare11, when he was given a moment to say something or apologize he said nothing. The parent of Landen made a written statement, but chose not to attend the hearing. In their statement they say they forgive Aranda because that's what God would like them to do. They also go on to say they will not waste any more time thinking about him or his actions and it will not define their life.
Aranda's mother made a statement after the hearing thanking Landen's parents for their forgiveness.
Some say that the sentence is far too lenient for the crime he committed, but it is the maximum penalty for the crime (first degree attempted murder). Landen miraculously survived the attack.