Man accused of kidnapping toddler at Georgia Walmart released on bond
MARIETTA, Ga. — Mahendra Patel, a 57-year-old Georgia man facing charges of attempted kidnapping at an Atlanta-area Walmart, has been released on bond after spending six weeks in jail.
A superior court judge of the Cobb County Judicial Circuit set the bond at $10,000 Tuesday morning. Patel was accused in March of ripping a 2-year-old away from his mother, 26-year-old Caroline Miller. He was charged with criminal attempt to commit kidnapping, assault and battery, according to court documents.
Miller told local television station WSB-TV Atlanta that she and Patel were 'tug of warring' with the child. However, surveillance footage released in April contradicts Miller's account, Patel's attorney Ashleigh Merchant said.
Patel told reporters outside the detention center that he was elated to be out of law enforcement custody.
'I'm a positive guy, so you got to take it one day at a time. Lot of ups and downs,' Patel said. 'But I knew we had a team outside helping me. One day we'll see the light, and then we see today.'
According to the arrest warrant, Miller's 2-year-old had been sitting in her lap while they were in a shopping cart for people with disabilities. Patel had allegedly grabbed and pulled the child away from Miller. Miller was able to regain control of her child by 'wrestling' him back from Patel, the warrant said.
'This act placed the mother in fear for her and her child's safety,' the warrant said.
Surveillance footage of the interaction shows Patel speaking to Miller while she's in the scooter. Miller, who is not disabled, has said that her children enjoy riding in the scooter. At one point, the 2-year-old slips from Miller's lap. Patel told law enforcement that he had asked Miller where Tylenol could be found, and attempted to help stabilize the toddler.
'Mr. Patel offered to hold the baby while she got up to show him where the Tylenol was,' Merchant said during the hearing. 'He believes fully that she's handicapped and she's got two young children.'
Patel appears to have a second interaction with Miller, during which he shows her the bottle of Tylenol that he had found.
'Mr. Patel went, got the Tylenol, and the video couldn't be clearer,' Merchant said during the hearing. 'Mr. Patel did not try to kidnap this child.'
Since Patel's arrest, he's drawn support from across the internet. A petition for his release has gotten more than 47,200 signatures as of Tuesday.
Patel is still fighting the case but, for now, he said he is excited to have a home cooked meal. A trial date has not yet been scheduled.
'I'm picky about food, but I told my daughter and wife, I said, 'I don't care. Better than what I got over there.''
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