Man Charged with Assault After Alleged Theft

A Morton man is being charged with simple assault and false identification after police said he punched a security officer while trying to flee a store with stolen property.

According to a report to police, Anthony McDonald, 36, of Morton, was taken into custody by Springfield Police after he was caught with stolen merchandise at the Springfield Macy's.  McDonald attempted to flee the store without paying for items and punched store security in the mouth as he was being apprehended, police said. 

Police said McDonald gave them a fake name while being questioned and was found with narcotics on his person. 

McDonald appeared before judge Andrea Puppio on May 21 and was charged with two counts of simple assault, retail theft and receiving stolen property, among other charges. Bail has been set for $35,000. His preliminary hearing is set for May 30.