Jumper identified

Officials on Monday confirmed the identity of a man who fell from the top level of South Coast Plaza’s north parking structure Saturday as a 51-year-old transient.

John Matthew Gold was mistakenly identified as 51-year-old Ricki Lake of Garden Grove by Costa Mesa Police on Sunday.

The officers who responded to the 911 call initially identified the victim from medical cards found in his wallet. The cards were without photos. However, a picture on file with police looked similar to the victim, Sgt. Don Holford said.

Through fingerprint records obtained by the Orange County Coroner’s office, the victim was later correctly identified as Gold, who had no permanent address.

Police found a number of the victim’s belongings at the top of the sixth level of the center’s parking structure, including a portable cassette player, a cellular phone and a jacket.

Since there were no signs of a struggle, nor that Gold fell accidentally, Costa Mesa police have ruled his death a suicide, Holford said.