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Suspect in alleged Walmart kidnapping speaks
Mahendra Patel, 56, is charged with attempted kidnapping after allegedly trying to take a toddler from his mother at a Walmart in Acworth. He was granted bond today by a judge and spoke out upon exiting jail.
COBB COUNTY, Ga. - A Cobb County man accused of attempting to kidnap a toddler from a local Walmart will be back in court for a hearing on Wednesday.
Mahendra Patel, 56, has been out on bond since May and maintains that security footage from the store proves that he is innocent of the allegations.
He's charged with kidnapping, simple assault, and simple battery.
The backstory:
The incident happened on March 18 at the Walmart located at 3105 Cobb Parkway. According to investigators, Patel approached Caroline Miller in the store and asked her about Tylenol. Witnesses told police that Patel then grabbed her child.
The mother was able to safely pull her child away, and Patel fled the store, authorities said.
Mahendra Patel. Photo courtesy of Acworth Police Department
"The guy asked where the Tylenol was and proceeded to grab him, and she pulled back and said, ‘No, no, what are you doing,’" Jeremiah Walker, the child's father, told FOX 5 in March.
Using store surveillance footage and FLOCK camera technology, detectives identified Patel and arrested him three days later.
The other side:
Attorney Ashley Merchant, who is representing Patel, disputes the allegations and has released surveillance video she claims shows her client did not commit a crime.
In the footage, Patel’s back is to the camera. Merchant says her client is simply asking Miller where the Tylenol is. She insists he was not trying to take the child.
"You can’t see this tug-of-war or grabbing back and forth. You can see him lean in, and it’s very likely he was doing what he said — which is to keep the child from falling," Merchant said.
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Video may prove man's innocence
56-year-old Mahendra Patel is charged with Attempted Kidnapping, Simple Battery, and Simple Assault after police say he tried to kidnap a little boy inside a Walmart on Cobb Parkway. Patel’s attorney shared surveillance video from the store that she says shows Patel speaking with the child's mother and attempting to assist her.
The video also shows Patel picking up the Tylenol he was searching for and showing it to Ms. Miller as he walks by.
"He shows it to her, and she gives him a thumbs up," Merchant said.
Patel is then seen checking out, paying with a debit card, and speaking with employees as he exits the store.
"He’s not fleeing, not in a hurry, not running away, not trying to hide what just happened. You don’t see anything," said Merchant.
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What's next:
Despite the defense’s claims, the Cobb County District Attorney’s Office says the case is moving forward based on what it described as a sound legal basis.
At this point, a trial date has not been scheduled.
The Source: Information for this article came from Cobb County court records and previous FOX 5 reporting.