The Cobb County District Attorney‘s Office distributed the following public information release:

Today, the Cobb County District Attorney’s Office moved to dismiss the charges against Mahendra Patel. This decision follows a productive meeting between the involved parties, during which they were able to discuss the circumstances and impact of the case.

Both Mr. Patel and Ms. Miller expressed a shared desire to move forward and put the incident behind them. The Cobb County District Attorney’s Office is pleased to have facilitated a resolution and is encouraged by the willingness of both parties to engage in a constructive dialogue.

We remain committed to pursuing justice in a manner that promotes accountability, restoration, and community healing whenever possible.

Background

On March 18, police were called to a Walmart store at 3105 Cobb Parkway. A mother, Caroline Miller, told them Patel came up and asked a question about Tylenol,  then tried to pull her juvenile child away from her.

Police arrested Patel and charged him with felony kidnapping, along with misdemeanor assault and misdemeanor battery.

There were disputed interpretations of what happened at the Walmart, which increased as more people viewed the video, resulting in some calls from the community for the charges to be dropped.

At first, Patel was held without bond, but Cobb Superior Court Judge Gregory Poole set bond at $10,000 after viewing video of the incident provided by Patel’s attorney.