An attacker from the American Mall gets 19 years for throwing a boy over a railing

June 3, 2019, 14:37 UTC / Update June 3, 2019, 15:03 UTC

By David K. Li

The "mean and selfish" Minneapolis man who threw a child over a ramp on the third floor of the Mall of America was sentenced to 19 years in prison on Monday.

Emmanuel Deshawn Aranda, 24, looked straight ahead during most of the sentencing hearing and refused to go to court when Judge Jeannice Reding of Hennepin District, offered him this opportunity.

Last month, Aranda pleaded guilty to attempted first degree murder as part of the April 12 attack in Bloomington, Minnesota, which nearly killed a five-year-old boy.

Aranda approached the young man at random, took him in his arms and threw him on a ramp on the third floor before fleeing, authorities said. He was captured aboard a light rail.

The boy and his parents did not appear in court on Monday, but offered statements read by prosecutor Cheri Townsend.

"Your act was diabolical and selfish, you chose to listen to the worst aspects of yourself that day," said the father in his statement. "That's where your impact on us ends, you will not take anything from us."

Both parents invoked their religious faith to help them through this terrible aggression.

"God will judge you one day and I have peace with it," according to the mother's statement. "I pass it to him and you will not take any more of my thoughts, I'm done with you."

The boy, named Landen, of Woodbury, Minnesota, fell 10 meters and suffered severe head injuries and multiple fractures.

The family gave news on May 24, claiming that Landen was struggling recently with "non-fatal complications of his injuries requiring additional procedures to fix it."

"He is recovering and his spirit is strong – but there is still a long way to go," according to the release of the family.

The Aranda family stated that he was suffering from mental illness.

In the plea agreement officially approved by Reding on Monday, prosecutors dropped an element of aggravating circumstances that could have resulted in an extra year in prison.

With good behavior and time spent in prison, Aranda is eligible for parole in 12 years.

David K. Li is a late reporter for NBC News.