5 Things Police: Charges Filed Against Man Who Jumped Over Rail at Mall

1. The suspected con artist who tried to escape by leaping over a rail at the Livingston Mall was formally charged this week after being released from the hospital, police said.

Johnathan Johnson, 37, of Irvington, was charged Tuesday night with attempted theft by deception and was released on his own recognizance – in full body cast after breaking his back in the fall – by the Livingston municipal judge.

Police say Johnson took a after he was caught trying to swindle a shopper on Sept 3.

The suspect fractured his spine in his escape attempt and was treated at Morristown Memorial Hospital. The charges were referred to the Essex County Prosecutor’s Office.

2. In yet another arrest, detectives in Montclair learned that a large amount of Oxycodone pills was going to be transported to Montclair from West McClellan Avenue in Livingston. Montclair detectives arrested a woman, Cindy Almeas, in Livingston as a result, recovering 99 Oxycodone pills in the process. Almeas, 51, of Livingston, was charged by Montclair Police on Sept. 7 with possession of prescription drugs with intent to distribute. She was released after posting $5,000 bail.

3. A Livingston man said a group of six to seven men robbed him in Hoboken, according to a news report on NJ.com. The 24-year-old was walking by himself at 3:20 a.m. Sept. 12 when one of the men pushed him to the ground while the others went through his pockets and ran away with $100, reports said.

4. Five more were reported this week. The thieves are targeting unlocked cars in the rash of break-ins reported in Livingston and neighboring towns.

5. Livingston police say last week at The Mall of Short Hills and Livingston Mall may be related. The investigation is continuing as police connect surveillance video and eyewitness descriptions of the crimes.