West Midlands Police said Mr Rafael, who they described as a black British national, had been remanded to appear before magistrates in Birmingham on Monday.
In a statement, the force said: “We are continuing our inquiries and are keen to hear from anyone who knows more about what happened.”
The suspect was wearing an “all grey tracksuit, black hat, trainers and rucksack at the time of the incident”, the statement adds.
Throughout Saturday a police tent remained on the pavement, just outside the Bullring and opposite the main entrance to New Street, and a cordon remained in place.