In a bizarre turn of events on a Florida Panhandle highway, a man suspected of stealing high-value jewelry reportedly swallowed two pairs of diamond earrings during his arrest. The earrings, believed to be from luxury brand Tiffany & Co., are estimated to be worth nearly $770,000. This peculiar incident has left detectives waiting for the rings to pass through the suspect’s system.
The suspect, a 32-year-old man from Texas, was apprehended after allegedly stealing the earrings at an upscale shopping center in Orlando. At the time of his arrest, he was heard by state troopers lamenting, “I should have thrown them out the window.” He further inquired at the Washington County jail if he would face charges for the items in his stomach, according to the arrest report.
A subsequent X-ray revealed what the Orlando Police Department believes to be the missing diamond earrings, appearing as a notable white mass amidst the grey of his digestive system. These suspected items are pending recovery following their passage through the suspect, the arrest report noted.
The police are still determining if the earrings have been recovered. A deputy in the rural Panhandle county where the man was detained near Chipley, Florida, could not confirm their status. An inscription on a document indicated that the suspect might be at a medical facility, possibly suggesting external medical interventions.
The theft allegedly involved the suspect pretending to be interested in purchasing the jewelry for an Orlando Magic basketball player. He was shown various pieces, including earrings and a diamond ring, in a VIP room. Sometime during the viewing, he reportedly attempted to flee with the jewelry. In the scuffle that ensued, a sales associate was injured while trying to intercept the suspect but managed to retrieve a diamond ring valued at $587,000.
Identifying him through shopping mall security footage, detectives noted his vehicle’s license plate. They believed he was returning to Texas as state troopers traced his car through tag readers on major highways, leading to his eventual capture when stopped for lacking rear lights in Washington County, about 340 miles away from Orlando.
The suspect now faces charges including first-degree felony grand theft and a third-degree felony robbery with a mask. No legal representation was indicated in court records, and he remains in custody in Orange County, Florida, which includes Orlando.
