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On April 28, 2025, YouTuber Melanie King offered her thoughts on 56-year-old Indian-American Mahendra Patel, who was accused of attempting to abduct a 2-year-old at a Walmart in Acworth, Georgia.
For the unversed, Mahendra Patel, a resident of Kennesaw, Georgia, has been held in Cobb County jail without bond and charged with attempted kidnapping, simple battery, and simple assault for allegedly attempting to snatch a 2-year-old toddler from his mother, Caroline Miller.
However, new surveillance video, reviewed by the Daily Mail, showed no such "tug of war" between Caroline and Patel; instead, the interaction appeared short and uneventful.
Melanie King took to X to share her thoughts on accusations against Mahendra Patel, criticizing Caroline Miller for "falsely" accusing him of abducting her toddler, which led to Patel's "rotting" in jail. Melanie King also talked about the newly released CCTV footage, which she believed "exonerates" Patel.
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The commentary YouTuber further linked Caroline Miller to actress Blake Lively, stating:
"Blake Lively should be the new name we give to these succubus."
Melanie King seemingly referenced Lively due to her recent allegations against It Ends With Us co-star Justin Baldoni for s*xual assault.
Why did Melanie King link Blake Lively to Caroline Miller's kidnapping accusations?
Melanie King likely compared the two cases because both women, Caroline and Blake, are involved in accusations that have ignited controversy.
Melanie King's comparison to Blake Lively seemingly stems from the actress's lawsuit filed on December 20, 2024, against It Ends With Us co-star Justin Baldoni, film producer Jamie Heath, Wayfarer Studios, and its co-founder Steve Sadwitz for conducting actions of "disturbing" and "unprofessional behaviour" at the set of the 2024 film It Ends With Us.
According to People, the Another Simple Favor star also accused Justin Baldoni of plotting a smear campaign to destroy her online reputation.
Melanie King criticized Blake in an X post on April 27, 2025. In the post, she shared that her 74-year-old disabled veteran mother was "appalled" after hearing about Blake's feud with Justin and her inclusion in TIME Magazine's 100 Most Influential People of 2025, under the "Titans" section.
In the post, Melanie King further criticized Lively's speech at the TIME100 Gala on April 24, 2025, where the 37-year-old actress recalled a harrowing experience of her mother's abuse by a co-worker and how she was saved by an anonymous woman on the radio who was going through the same circumstances.
Melanie King called her story an attempt to gain "sympathy" and chase "clout" after "falsely" accusing co-star Justin Baldoni of se*xual assault.
New surveillance footage may prove Mahendra Patel not guilty—Reports
On March 18, 2025, the 26-year-old woman, Caroline Miller was shopping at a Walmart in Acworth, Georgia, while driving a motorized shopping cart, when Patel approached her and asked her where he could find Tylenol. It was then that the two allegedly engaged in a "tug of war" with her 2-year-old son, according to ABC News.
"When I pointed my arm out this way to point to the direction of where it was, that is when he reached down, put both of his hands on Jude, and grabbed him out of my lap," Caroline told WSB.
However, according to Patel's attorney, Ashleigh Merchant, Caroline's narrative is the opposite of what happened. In a statement to WSB-TV Atlanta 2 News, Merchant described him as a "friendly older gentleman trying to help people, asking for help at the Walmart."
"This kidnapping of a minor bell was rung, Once that bell is rung, it's really hard to unring it. It's really hard to get that back and get a bond," Merchant added.
Ashleigh Merchant provided surveillance footage of March 18, the day the incident occurred, to Fox 5.
"You can see where Mr. Patel enters the store. You can see where he first encounters Ms. Miller," said Ashleigh Merchant.
Denying the "tug of war" allegation from Caroline, Merchant stated:
"You can’t see this tug-of-war or grabbing back and forth. You can see him lean in, and it’s very likely he was doing what he said — which is to keep the child from falling."
The video also revealed Mahendra Patel finding the Tylenol bottle and leaving Walmart calmly after paying for it.
"He shows it to her, and she gives him a thumbs up. He’s not fleeing, not in a hurry, not running away, not trying to hide what just happened. You don’t see anything," Merchant continued.
According to the Daily Mail, Mahendra Patel believed Caroline was disabled because she was riding a motorized cart. He claimed that when he asked for directions to the Tylanol section, the 2-year-old toddler lost his balance, and he tried to stop him from falling.
After 5 minutes of their interaction, Caroline told a Walmart employee that he attempted to abduct her son. Authorities tracked down Patel and took him into custody within 3 days after the complaint was filed.
Merchant stated that there are 70 hours of surveillance video documenting the interaction between Patel and Miller. The CCTV footage also revealed that when Patel left the area in search of Tylanol, Caroline Miller crashed her cart into a display case, causing her toddler to fall. It further showed another man helping her. The footage also captured Patel finding the Tyleon and showing it to Caroline, after which she gave him a thumbs-up, as reported by Fox 5.
