Two-year-old boy dies after 'falling out of his father's arms' while riding on a mall escalator in Colorado
Aurora police are investigating the tragic death of a two-year-old boy, who 'fell out of his father's arms' while the two rode an escalator at a Colorado mall on Sunday.
The tragic incident occurred at the Town Center shopping mall in Aurora at around 4:30pm, when witnesses say the young child and his father were at the top of an second floor escalator.
That's when authorities say the boy lunged forward, causing his father to lose his grip and the child to fall out of his arms and off of the moving escalator, according to CBS Denver.
Witnesses say they could see the toddler lying unconscious on the ground of the mall as emergency personnel arrived.
The boy, identified Tuesday by Arapahoe County Coroner's Office as Jhovany De La Cruz-Perez, was taken to a nearby hospital in critical condition, where he died several hours later early Monday morning.
The tragic incident occurred at the Town Center shopping mall in Aurora at 4:30pm, when the young child and his father were at the top of an second floor escalator
A police officer places a sign atop the escalator that the two-year-old had fallen off from after his dad lost his grip while carrying the boy
The boy, identified Tuesday as Jhovany De La Cruz-Perez, was taken to a nearby hospital in critical condition, where he died several hours later early Monday morning
Those who witnessed the horrifying scene spoke to CBS Denver and relayed the fear and confusion of the moment following little Jhovany's fatal fall.
'I was in one of the shoe stores and I heard a lot of screaming, I heard a lady screaming, then out of nowhere the shop owner ran outside he was on the phone I heard him saying, that something happened, and he couldn’t close the store because he had guests,' Cesar Solorzano told the news outlet.
'And then he looked at me, he told me what happened that a little kid fell off the escalator.'
Another shopper saw the heartbreaking scene as a reminder to literally hold onto your kids tight.
Those who witnessed the horrifying scene spoke to CBS Denver and relayed the fear and confusion of the moment following little Jhovany's fatal fall
Aurora police investigating what caused a child to fall from an escalator at the Town Center in Aurora on Sunday afternoon
'It’s just a reminder for parents even if you’re holding onto your kids going down the escalator, you can never be too safe,' added the shopper, who's name was not provided by CBS Denver.
The news outlet reports that several other witnesses expressed their concern for the boy and his family, prior to the announcement of Jhovany's death.
The investigation into the boy's fatal fall remains ongoing, however authorities believe it was an accident.