An alleged conman was pushed away from the ledge of a broken 31st-story window in New York City on Wednesday.
One of the NYPD’s Emergency Service Unit (ESU) officers rappelled outside the 72-story CitySpire building, then made his way inside Ian Mitchell’s condominium, the New York Post reported.
The outlet said the man, who was apparently suicidal, lived on the 31st floor.
Video footage shows the officer, in climbing gear, hanging outside the window above the subject. Moments later, the officer rappels down, and appears to kick Mitchell back inside before following him:
“Emergency Service Unit Detectives and fellow Finest risked everything to save the life of a suicidal man today hundreds of feet above NYC streets,” the Detectives’ Endowment Association wrote in its social media post.
“These men and women in blue are some of the most highly-skilled first responders in the world — and the DEA is proud to represent each of the Detectives!” the association added.
Prior to the rescue, hostage negotiator officers with the NYPD and the FBI were in the hallway outside the man’s door. The officials had been negotiating with him for several hours.
Authorities then transported Mitchell to a hospital to undergo a psychiatric evaluation. He reportedly threatened to jump from the ledge that morning, and the Post article said it happened as “the FBI attempted to serve an arrest warrant for a ‘white-collar crime,’ but did not elaborate further.”
An image shows Mitchell sitting on the ledge, then later leaving the scene covered in a white blanket:
Meanwhile, attorney Todd Spodek, who represented the man during a 2019 grand larceny case, told Fox News he had not heard from his former client in a while.
“It’s unfortunate to see him in these circumstances, and I’d urge him to cooperate,” Spodek commented.
He was previously accused of making people believe he was the son of a wealthy Jamaican family so investors would pay him hundreds of thousands of dollars for personal gain, the Post article said officials told the outlet a few years ago.
The man “passed himself off as investment banker ‘Ian Matalon,’ a relative of the wealthy Jamaican businessman Joseph Matalon, and duped at least three victims into investing in a fake hedge fund, cops alleged,” the report said.
On Wednesday, the Manhattan DA’s Office was apparently probing the alleged investment scams cases, the outlet also noted.
In 2017, authorities arrested Mitchell for grand larceny. He eventually posted a $100,000 bond and later pleaded guilty in the case.
Now, the man’s ex-girlfriend says she does not feel sorry for him, and also alleged he stole $70,000 from her, the Daily Mail reported Wednesday.
Stylist Natasha Quiros said, “I don’t want anything to do with him,” and “He lied [about] his identity and stole money from me and my family. I really don’t have much to say I hope he pays [for] what he did.”
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