COBB COUNTY, Ga. — A Cobb County grand jury has indicted a man accused of trying to kidnap a toddler at Walmart.
Court records show that Mahendra Patel was indicted Thursday on criminal attempt to commit kidnapping, simple assault and simple battery charges.
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Acworth police arrested Patel last month after a mother said he tried to kidnap her 2-year-old son at the Walmart on Cobb Parkway.
The mother, Caroline Miller, told Channel 2 Action News that her kids wanted to use the motorized scooter, and they crossed paths with Patel in one of the aisles.
She said Patel asked her for help finding the Tylenol. When she pointed to it, she said he grabbed her 2-year-old son out of her hands.
“I’m like ‘No, no, not a, what are you doing?’ He pulled him,” Miller said. “I pulled him back. We’re tug of warring.”
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Patel’s attorney, Ashleigh Merchant, though says her client wasn’t trying to kidnap the child. She says Patel was trying to stop the child from falling.
“He was looking for the Tylenol, asked for help. She was getting up to show him, to point where the Tylenol was, and a normal person would think you’re handicapped because you’re in the handicapped scooter, got two children she’s holding on to. She explained they were both at her feet. She explained one was sort of in her lap, and one’s at her feet, and she’s getting up to point, and he thinks the child’s going to fall,” Merchant said.
“This is not some predator that’s roaming the street,” she said.
Channel 2 Action News followed up with Miller, who said she hopes that Patel’s explanation was true, but will let the attorneys decide how to handle it.
“I’m just going to leave it up to the people who are professionals at this to decide why and what and what to do next,” Miller said.
Court records do not list when Patel’s next court date is.
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