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 Minnesota 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 (12.2 meters) to the ground by a stranger.

The family said on their CaringBridge site that Landen is now in an inpatient program at another hospital. The family says Landen “is strong and his spirit remains vibrant.”

The man who threw Landen, Emmanuel Aranda, pleaded guilty to attempted premeditated first-degree murder. He told investigators he went to the Bloomington mall “looking for someone to kill” after women had rejected his advances.

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