Minnesota’s iconic Mall of America is more than just a retail hub; it’s a landmark destination, celebrated as the Western Hemisphere’s largest mall. Situated on the historic grounds of what once was Metropolitan Stadium, where the NFL’s Vikings and MLB’s Twins showcased their talents, the mall pays homage to its past. Within its amusement park, a seat marks the spot where Harmon Killebrew’s monumental 520th home run landed, a nod to the area’s rich sports legacy.

This colossal structure, spread over four expansive floors, attracts not only local shoppers but also tourists eager to marvel at its vastness. On any given day, the mall buzzes with activity, offering a blend of retail therapy and entertainment.

One crisp April morning, with remnants of winter still visible in patches of snow, Kari Hoffmann, alongside her 5-year-old son Landen, a friend, and her son Will, found themselves at the mall ahead of the crowd. The stores had yet to open their doors as they lingered near the Rainforest Cafe on the third floor. While the adults chatted, the boys clambered joyfully over a faux rock fixture.

As they played, a man approached, seemingly a staff member. Inquiring if the boys were allowed on the rock, he assured the mothers kindly, “You can be here.” He then leaned in to whisper something to young Will, a moment that added a peculiar twist to their morning visit.

Asking if it was ok for the boys to be on the rock, the man tells the moms, very nicely, it’s ok, “you can be here.” The man then leans down and whispers something in Will’s ear.

Later, details uncover that he says, “If you don’t get off this rock, I’m going to throw you off.

As the boys nervously giggle, the man reaches around Will, grabs Landen, and throws the 5-year-old over the third-floor railing. Frozen for a moment, Kari Hoffmann screams as her boy is falling more than three stories to the ground; the shaken mother runs down the escalator to her broken little boy, telling onlookers to pray as she runs.

Falling 40 feet to the ground, Landen Hoffmann breaks his skull, facial bones, both arms, and a leg, as well as suffers a life-threatening injury to his vena cavae vein running to his heart. Two nurses who work in a cardiac unit happen to be near when this horrific event happens and perform CPR on Landen.

He is taken to the Minneapolis Children’s Hospital, where he is immediately rushed into lifesaving surgery, and from there he is placed in the intensive care unit, doctors unsure if he will survive the trauma.

While stunned onlookers are encouraged by Kari Hoffmann to pray for her son, back up on the third floor, a 68-year-old man tackles the suspect as he runs away, slowing the man down enough so even though he jumped on the railway, cops are able to arrest the man.

This terror is caused by 24-year-old Emmanuel Aranda, a man known to the mall with a history of arrests for trespassing, cited for throwing items at mall patrons from the top floor of the mall.

Weeks later, he returns to the mall, this time harassing two women and throwing things in a mall restaurant.

Joining Nancy Grace today:

Additional Guest

• Kari Hoffmann – Landen’s Mother, Author of “Miracle at The Mall

“Crime Stories with Nancy Grace” on Fox Nation is also a national radio show on SiriusXM channel 111, airing for two hours daily starting at 12 p.m. EST. You can also subscribe and download the daily podcasts at iHeart Podcasts.

[Feature Photo via NJSP]