Two-year-old boy dies after 'falling out of his father's arms' while riding on a mall escalator in Colorado

  • The incident occurred at the Town Center shopping mall in Aurora at around 4:30pm
  • Witnesses say the young child and his father were on an escalator going to the second floor 
  • That's when authorities say the father lost his grip, causing the child to fall out of his arms and off of the moving escalator
  • Witnesses say they could see the toddler lying unconscious on the ground of the mall as emergency personnel arrived 
  • 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 Monday morning 
  • '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,' another shopper added 

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.

ADVERTISEMENT

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. 

ADVERTISEMENT

The investigation into the boy's fatal fall remains ongoing, however authorities believe it was an accident.  

Most Read News

Meghan Markle's American Riviera Orchard brand website leads to British foodbank and message saying...

GPs are to lose the power to hand out sick notes as Rishi Sunak launches crackdown and tells the...

As Ben Affleck's daughter comes out as 'Fin', why are so many A-list celebrities' children trans and...

Israel strikes back at Iran: Explosions rock airbase in city linked to Tehran's nuke program but US...

Horror as Ferrero employee and father-to-be, 33, collapses and dies on Ryanair flight while his...

Shocking moment police officer threatens to ARREST man for 'breaching the peace' simply by being...

Horrifying moment Brit, 40, slams against the rocks after misjudging leap into pool of water below,...

Billionaire philanthropist Hans Rausing loses his second wife Julia to cancer aged 63: Fresh...

Nicola Sturgeon's husband Peter Murrell is charged by Police Scotland detectives over embezzlement...

'I took a knife, I killed him, I don't care': Moment woman told police she 'stabbed her landlord...

RICHARD EDEN: As the royal expert who revealed Harry has quit Britain, I know what the Queen would...

REBECCA ENGLISH: Though William's appearance today was welcome, you could see small signs of the...

JANET STREET-PORTER: My four-year ordeal at the hands of the taxman has left me stressed, angry and...

Horrifying new video shows missing Israeli father of 'Hamas's youngest hostage' covered in blood and...

BBC News presenter Martine Croxall, 55, sues broadcaster for age and sex discrimination after being...

Boy, 17, claimed he was sleepwalking when he 'smashed the skulls' of two boarding school students as...