Mahendra Patel, a 57-year-old man from Georgia, has been released on a $10,000 bond after spending six weeks in jail for attempted kidnapping at a Walmart in the Atlanta area. The incident, which occurred in March, involved Patel allegedly attempting to forcibly take a 2-year-old child from 26-year-old Caroline Miller. Patel has been charged with criminal attempt to commit kidnapping, assault, and battery.
Miller claimed that there was a struggle for the child, but surveillance footage later contradicted her account, according to Patel’s attorney, Ashleigh Merchant. The footage shows that while the toddler was sitting in Miller’s lap in a shopping cart designed for individuals with disabilities, Patel approached to ask where Tylenol could be found. The arrest warrant states that Patel allegedly grabbed the child, prompting Miller to wrestle the child back, which she described as a terrifying experience.
Merchant argued that Patel intended to assist Miller by offering to hold the child while she looked for Tylenol, as he believed she was handicapped. After their interactions, he later showed Miller the Tylenol he had found. Merchant emphasized that the video evidence disproves any notion of an attempted kidnapping.
Since his arrest, Patel has received significant support online, with a petition for his release gathering over 47,200 signatures. While he awaits further legal proceedings, he expressed relief at being released and looked forward to enjoying homemade meals again. As of now, a trial date has not yet been set, leaving Patel to navigate the ongoing legal challenges ahead.
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