Walmart surveillance video shows client did not try to ‘snatch’ child, lawyer says

ATLANTA, Ga. (Atlanta News First) - New video shows the moments a Cobb County woman says a man tried to snatch her child away from her inside an Acworth Walmart.

The suspect’s attorney said the footage proves her client is innocent.

In the video you can see Mahendra “Mick” Patel enter a Walmart on Cobb Parkway on March 18. His attorney, Ashleigh Merchant, said he was there to purchase rapid relief Tylenol.

After several minutes of searching for the medicine, he was unable to find it. Merchant said her client approached a woman on a handicapped cart, with two young children, and asked for help.

In a previous interview that woman, Caroline Miller, told Atlanta News First that’s when Patel tried to snatch her son. Miller said she and Patel did a “tug of war” over the child for about 10 seconds. She also said she was on the handicapped cart because her kids wanted to ride in it.

READ ORIGINAL STORY: Man accused of trying to abduct toddler at Acworth Walmart indicted

While the surveillance video is somewhat blurry, you see Patel and Miller have some kind of interaction. His back is to the camera.

“You can see him lean in, you can definitely see there’s an interaction between them but it’s very brief and it’s not at all as it’s been described as this tug of war grabbing or anything like that,’ Merchant said.

Seconds after the interaction Patel is seen walking away and Miller backs her handicapped cart into a Walmart display. Her other child falls to the ground and another man steps in to help.

“She sort of runs over that child’s foot. This (other) gentleman jumps in to help just like Mick had done, tries to help the child that had just fallen on the floor, but he’s not charged with any crime. Only Mick is charged with a crime,” Merchant said.

PREVIOUS COVERAGE: Lawyer says Acworth Walmart kidnapping case is ‘complete misunderstanding’

Patel is then seen on camera a few minutes later with a Walmart employee who walks him to the Tylenol aisle. He then walks back by Miller on his way to check out and shows her that he found the medicine.

He proceeds to buy it and walks out of the store.

About 30 minutes later Miller calls 911 and tells the operator what she believed just happened. Then explains why she waited so long to call.

“I had to rip my baby out of some other man’s hands because he was trying to snatch him,” Miller said to the 911 operator. “It all happened so fast, and he was out of the store, and while I was talking to the manager he left.”

“I’m sorry I would’ve called sooner but I have—I got my baby back,” she said.

“There’s nothing sinister about it. I think it’s just been grossly misrepresented and grossly taken out of proportion,” Merchant said.

Patel was indicted on kidnapping, assault, and battery charges last week. His bond hearing is scheduled for the beginning of May.

Prosecutors have also filed a request for a gag order following media coverage of the case.

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