Paul Redmond/WireImage.comDMX couldn't quite keep up with the Joneses. Or at least with the charade of pretending to be one.
The trouble-prone rapper was arrested (again) in a Phoenix mall Saturday afternoon on suspicion of felony identity theft, stemming from an April hospital stay in which he allegedly used a fake name and Social Security number to avoid paying a $7,500 medical bill.
Police say DMX, whose real name is Earl Simmons but who went under the pseudonym "Troy Jones" when he checked in to the Mayo Clinic last spring, was busted while hanging out with a group of friends at Phoenix's Metrocenter mall.
Police, who have been investigating the charge for some months, say an officer ran his name, found the warrant, and arrested him on the spot.
As he was being carted off by officers, the rapper turned to the hastily congregated group of local news cameras, said, "harrassment," and shook his head.
As it is, the 37-year-old stayed in the Scottsdale clinic back in April, where he was treated for a bout of pneumonia.
No bond has yet been set for the rapper's latest arrest, his fifth in the past three months, and officials say he will likely be isolated for safety purposes should he remain in jail.
The rapper's extensive rap sheet already includes busts on charges of outstanding warrants, misdemeanor animal cruelty and felony drug possession, speeding on a suspended license and attempted purchasing of cocaine and marijuana.