The Long Island man who faked his own drowning before being arrested yesterday for allegedly impersonating a cop is suicidal.
According to Raymond Roth’s attorney, Brian J. Davis, his client is suicidal and after he was arrested, “He tried to do something to himself and the police stopped him.”
In the weeks leading up to his recent arrest Roth’s family were seeking to hospitalize him because he was becoming irrational and they feared he would be a risk to himself or others, according to Davis.
Outside the courtroom in Hempstead where his client was set to be arraigned Davis said, “His family was concerned and he was yelling at his mother and not making sense.”
Roth’s latest arrest came after the Long Beach resident allegedly pulled up next to a woman in Freeport on March 16 and identified himself as a cop — then ordered her to climb in his wood-paneled white van, Nassau police said.
When she declined, Roth — who was free after getting hit with charges related to faking his death — briefly ran after her on foot, cops said.
Five days later, on March 21 — just hours after pleading guilty to conspiracy for the faked disappearance — Roth pulled up next to another Freeport woman and allegedly invited her into his vehicle, cops said.
He said he was a police officer.
When she refused, he threatened to arrest her, cops said.
Roth then followed her on foot until the victim entered a check-cashing store and asked employees to lock him out, cops said. Staffers called 911, but he fled before police arrived.
Roth can be seen on surveillance footage asking employees to buzz him in.
Police expect to charge Roth with attempted kidnapping, two counts of first-degree criminal impersonation and one count of attempted burglary.
Roth faked his disappearance at Jones Beach last July in an attempt to collect on a $410,000 life-insurance policy.
Roth was arrested in a chef’s outfit because he is urrently enrolled in culinary school.
He is being held without bail.
kieran.crowley@nypost.com