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Written by: A. Smith
Published August 6, 2025 @ 4:00 PM ET
Update: The Cobb County District Attorney’s Office has dismissed all charges against a man who was accused earlier this year of trying to abduct a toddler at an Acworth Walmart, a case that sparked public concern but later unraveled under scrutiny.
Mahendra Patel, 57, had been facing charges of attempted kidnapping, assault, and battery after a March incident at the Walmart Supercenter on Cobb Parkway. A woman claimed Patel asked her about Tylenol and then grabbed her child in what she described as a prolonged “tug-of-war” before he fled the store.
However, surveillance footage told a different story.
During a court hearing on Wednesday, Patel’s attorney, Ashleigh Merchant, presented video evidence from inside the store. She said the interaction was brief and bore no resemblance to the physical struggle the woman described.
“You can see him lean in, you can definitely see there’s an interaction between them, but it’s very brief,” Merchant told the court. “It’s not at all what was described as a tug-of-war or grabbing.”
The video showed Patel calmly finding the medicine he was looking for and then showing the woman the Tylenol he selected as he walked toward the exit. He never ran. The woman contacted police about 30 minutes later.
Patel spent more than a month in jail before being granted a $10,000 bond in May.
“It was a shocker,” he told Atlanta News First. “In fact, I didn’t even realize why they were arresting me in the first place. I couldn’t believe this — me going to prison for a long time for something that I didn’t even do? It was incomprehensible.”
The case had drawn media attention and community concern in its early stages, but prosecutors ultimately determined there was insufficient evidence to move forward.
The charges were formally dismissed during Wednesday’s hearing.
The following was taken from a press release distributed by the Acworth Police Department on March 22, 2025.
COBB COUNTY, Ga. – On March 18, 2025, Officers with the Acworth Police Department responded to WalMart, located at 3105 Cobb Parkway, after receiving a call of a male who attempted to snatch a juvenile away from their mother.
Officers spoke with the mother and witnesses and learned that the suspect approached her and asked a question about Tylenol. The suspect then grabbed the juvenile and attempted to pull the child away from the mother. The mother was able to break away with the juvenile and the suspect fled the area. The juvenile was not injured during the incident.
Detectives immediately began an investigation and after reviewing the surveillance cameras, FLOCK Cameras, and speaking with witnesses, a suspect was identified and a warrant was secured.
On March 21, 2025, Mahendra Patel (56 YOA) of Kennesaw was arrested. Patel has been charged with:
• Simple Assault (Misdemeanor) O.C.G.A. 16-5-20
• Simple Battery (Misdemeanor) O.C.G.A. 15-5-23
• Kidnapping (Felony) O.C.G.A. 16-5-40
Patel is currently in custody at the Cobb County Sheriff’s Office with no bond.
We would like to thank Detectives with the Cobb County Police Department who assisted in the identification of the suspect.
The Criminal Investigations Division continues to investigate this incident. Anyone with pertinent information is encouraged to contact the Acworth Police Department at 770-974-1232.