X-ray Reveals Stolen US$770,000 Diamond Earrings Swallowed by Theft Suspect

Tags: Crime, Jewelry Theft, Law Enforcement, Tiffany & Co, Florida

Suspect Swallows Stolen Earrings During Arrest

ORLANDO, Florida: A suspected thief swallowed two pairs of diamond earrings valued at nearly US$770,000 during his arrest on a Florida Panhandle highway. Authorities now face the challenge of recovering the stolen Tiffany & Co. jewelry.

While in the squad car, a state trooper overheard the suspect saying, “I should have thrown them out the window.” Later, at the Washington County jail, he asked staff, “Am I going to be charged with what is in my stomach?” according to the arrest report.

The 32-year-old man from Texas has been charged with two felonies for forcibly stealing the earrings from an upscale shopping center in Orlando.

X-ray Confirms Suspicion

An X-ray of the suspect’s torso revealed what appeared to be the missing diamond earrings—two bright white masses against the grey background of his digestive tract.

“These foreign objects are suspected to be the Tiffany & Co. earrings taken in the robbery but will need to be collected … after they are passed,” the Orlando Police Department stated in its report.

Authorities are still waiting for confirmation on whether the earrings have been recovered. An Orlando police spokesperson and a deputy from the county where the suspect was arrested both declined to provide further details.

Theft at Tiffany & Co.

According to police, the suspect entered a Tiffany & Co. store in Orlando, claiming he was purchasing diamond earrings and a diamond ring on behalf of an Orlando Magic basketball player. Sales associates escorted him to a VIP room to view the jewelry.

Shortly after, he leaped from his chair, grabbed the jewelry, and attempted to escape. A sales associate, injured while trying to block him, managed to knock a diamond ring worth US$587,000 out of his hands before he fled.

Arrest After Highway Chase

Detectives identified the suspect’s vehicle through shopping mall security footage and tracked it as he attempted to drive back to Texas. State troopers located his car using traffic cameras along the Florida Turnpike and Interstate 10. He was eventually stopped in Washington County, nearly 550 km away, for driving without rear lights.

The suspect now faces charges of first-degree felony grand theft and robbery with a mask, a third-degree felony. Court records do not indicate whether he has legal representation. As of Wednesday morning, he remained in police custody in Orange County, Florida.