A Giant Leap to Escape Fails

A suspected con artist at the Livingston Mall took a daring leap from the mall’s second floor after he was caught trying to swindle a shopper on Saturday night.

The suspect fractured his spine in his escape attempt, Det. Sgt. Anthony Dippold said. He’s being treated at Morristown Memorial Hospital and will face charges by Livingston Police when he is released.

His evening began in the women’s department of Macy’s, where the alleged con artist posed as a sales clerk to help a shopper select business suits. He offered to use his employee discount toward the new outfits if the woman would pay with cash.

“This guy really had me,” the victim told Livingston police. “I believed he was a salesman.”

The shopper was about to hand over $400 but became suspicious at the last moment and called her husband. The suspect fled from Macy’s with the husband chasing after him yelling for someone to call police.

The alleged con attempted to escape by leaping over the rail, landing in the mall’s center courtyard, Dippold said.

The suspect suffered serious injuries in the 25-30 foot fall and was taken by the Livingston First Aid Squad to the trauma unit of Morristown Memorial Hospital.

Livingston Police are still trying to determine the man’s identity. He gave the name Johnathan Johnson, 37, of Irvington, but police believe that’s one of several aliases he uses. He’ll be charged with theft by deception once police confirm his ID and he is released from the hospital, Dippold said.