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Indian-American engineer accused of kidnapping attempt. CCTV video may prove his innocence
Surveillance footage may prove the innocence of an Indian-American engineer who was accused of trying to kidnap a 2-year-old and thrown into jail
Surveillance footage may prove the innocence of an Indian-American engineer who was accused of trying to kidnap a 2-year-old and thrown into jail. Mahendra Patel, 56, was shopping at a Walmart in Georgia, USA, when the alleged kidnapping attempt occurred.
According to ABC News, Caroline Miller, mother of the toddler, claimed she was shopping at the Walmart with her two young children when Patel tried to snatch one of them, leading to a “tug of war.”
Miller said that Patel first approached her family asking where he could find Tylenol. "When I pointed my arm out this way to point to the direction of where it was, that is when he reached down, put both of his hands on Jude, and grabbed him out of my lap," she told WSB.
The incident, which happened on March 18, led to Patel being charged with attempted kidnapping. He has now spent weeks behind bars at Cobb County Jail, held without bond.
Indian man’s version of events
However, Patel has protested his innocence, saying he was only trying to help the child, not abduct him.
Patel’s attorney, Ashleigh Merchant, has also shared CCTV footage with Fox News that could prove his innocence.
"You can see where Mr. Patel enters the store. You can see where he first encounters Ms. Miller," said Merchant to Fox5. "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.
According to the Daily Mail, the 56-year-old Indian-origin man claims he has been wrongly accused by Miller, who has given several media interviews saying he tried to kidnap her child.
Patel claims that on March 18, he indeed asked Miller for directions to Tylenol. He then noticed that her boy was losing his balance and grabbed him to stop him from falling.
Miller told a Walmart employee five minutes later that Patel had tried to kidnap her son. She informed the police later.
However, the footage shows Patel calmly walking past Miller and showing her the Tylenol minutes later. She appears to give him a thumbs-up sign, which refutes her version of events.
