Diamond earrings swallowed by thief during arrest have been successfully recovered by Florida police, marking the conclusion of an unusual and high-stakes jewellery heist.
The incident, which involved a suspect attempting to escape with stolen Tiffany & Co earrings worth nearly £600,000, took a bizarre turn when he ingested the valuable items in an effort to conceal evidence.
The recovery of the stolen jewellery after two weeks of close monitoring and investigative efforts highlights both the audacity of the crime and the determination of law enforcement in tracking down stolen luxury goods.
The Heist at Tiffany & Co.
The incident began in February when the suspect visited a Tiffany & Co store under the guise of purchasing high-end jewellery. He expressed interest in acquiring a set of diamond earrings and a diamond ring, claiming that the purchase was on behalf of an Orlando Magic basketball player.
The sales staff, believing the suspect to be a genuine customer, escorted him to a VIP viewing room where he could inspect the valuable items in a more private setting.
However, the seemingly routine jewellery consultation quickly escalated into a theft. Without warning, the suspect suddenly leaped from his chair, grabbed the diamond earrings, and forced his way out of the store.
Despite the security measures in place at the high-end boutique, he managed to escape the premises, prompting store employees to alert the authorities immediately.
Read : Tykwon DeAndre Anderson Arrested for Stealing Three Luxury Cars at Home of Carson Beck
The Orlando Police Department quickly initiated an investigation, gathering crucial evidence from the store’s surveillance cameras. Security footage provided a clear view of the suspect’s actions and, more importantly, the license plate number of the vehicle he used to flee the scene.
Shoutout to our detectives in the Violent Crimes Unit!
— Orlando Police (@OrlandoPolice) March 21, 2025
After a long and laborious investigation involving stolen jewelry, they were able to recover over $769,000 worth of earrings swallowed by the suspect.
Detectives monitored Jaythan Gilder for more than a dozen days at… pic.twitter.com/GFoPjkCURo
With this key piece of information, law enforcement began tracking the suspect’s movements, setting the stage for an extensive search that would eventually lead to his arrest.
The Arrest and Stomach-Concealed Evidence
The suspect’s attempt to evade capture took him far from the scene of the crime. Nearly 340 miles away from Orlando, in Washington County, officers spotted the getaway vehicle during a routine traffic stop. The suspect was pulled over for driving without rear lights, an infraction that, unbeknownst to him, would lead to his immediate apprehension.
During the arrest, the suspect made a series of incriminating statements that raised suspicions about the whereabouts of the stolen jewellery. As he sat in the police car, officers overheard him muttering to himself: “I should have thrown them out the window.”
The significance of this statement became even clearer when, upon arriving at the Washington County jail, the suspect asked the jail staff a striking question: “Am I going to be charged with what is in my stomach?”
This unexpected development indicated that the suspect had swallowed the stolen diamond earrings in an effort to hide them from law enforcement.
Officers quickly realized that recovering the stolen items would require medical intervention and close monitoring. The suspect was transferred to a hospital, where detectives patiently waited for the jewellery to pass through his system. This painstaking process took two weeks, but eventually, all four diamond earrings were successfully retrieved.
Upon recovery, detectives verified that the stolen earrings matched the serial numbers of those taken from the Tiffany & Co store. The total value of the recovered jewellery was estimated at $770,000 (£596,000), confirming that the suspect had ingested the entire set in a desperate attempt to avoid prosecution.
The Aftermath and Legal Consequences
With the stolen jewellery recovered and the suspect in custody, law enforcement officials are now focused on ensuring that justice is served. The suspect faces multiple charges, including grand theft, resisting arrest, and destruction of evidence.
His unusual method of concealing the stolen items may lead to additional legal complications, as attempting to destroy or hide evidence can result in enhanced penalties under the law.
This case has drawn significant attention due to its unusual nature and the high value of the stolen items. While jewellery thefts are not uncommon, the method used by this particular suspect—ingesting luxury items in an attempt to evade detection—has shocked many.
The successful recovery of the diamond earrings is a testament to the persistence of law enforcement and the effectiveness of investigative techniques in tracking down stolen goods.
The incident also serves as a cautionary tale for high-end retailers, highlighting the need for stringent security measures when dealing with valuable merchandise. Although luxury stores often employ surveillance cameras and security personnel, the ability of a determined thief to bypass these measures remains a concern.
The Tiffany & Co store in Orlando, like many other high-end retailers, may consider revising its security protocols to prevent similar incidents in the future.
In the end, the recovery of the stolen diamond earrings marks a victory for law enforcement and a failure for the suspect, whose attempt to conceal evidence in his stomach proved futile. As he awaits trial, the case serves as a reminder that no matter how creative a criminal’s tactics may be, the pursuit of justice remains relentless.