LIVINGSTON — An Irvington man who tried to con a woman at Livingston Mall out of $1,000 suffered a fractured spine while trying to escape her husband, police said.

Jonathan Johnson, 37, injured himself in a leap from the mall’s second floor after his failed attempt to scam a woman by posing as a Macy’s employee, police said.

Livingston police Detective Sgt. Anthony Dippold said the incident occurred around 7:30 p.m. Saturday, when police received a call of a fraud at Macy’s.

Johnson allegedly approached the unidentified Maplewood woman and identified himself as a store employee. He told the woman that if she paid him directly — in cash — for about $1,000 worth of women’s business suits she wanted to buy, he would apply his employee discount and get her the merchandise for $400, Dippold said.

But the woman grew suspicious.

"What keyed her off was that she noticed he wasn’t wearing a (store) name tag," Dippold said. "When she questioned him about why he wasn’t wearing a name tag, Johnson just made an excuse."

The woman talked to a genuine Macy’s employee, who did not recognize Johnson and did not believe he worked in the store, Dippold said.

The shopper then called her husband who arrived at the mall and met her near the food court. She saw Johnson walking nearby area and pointed him out to her husband. When the husband began to approach, Johnson ran off and a chase ensued, Dippold said.

Johnson ran to the center of the mall where he jumped over the second-floor railing. The fall — about 20 to 30 feet — fractured his spine. Johnson was taken by Livingston First Aid Squad to Morristown Medical Center where he remains in stable condition, Dippold said.

Johnson will be charged with theft by deception upon release from the hospital, Dippold said. Bail has not been set.

Attempts to reach Macy’s corporate offices for comment were not successful.

Township police are investigating if other shoppers have been scammed and asked anyone with information to call (973) 992-3000.