An alleged robbery in Orlando takes a strange turn as police recover earrings worth $769,500 after the suspect ingests them to evade capture.
Stolen Tiffany Earrings Recovered After Alleged Thief Ingests Them
Stolen Tiffany Earrings Recovered After Alleged Thief Ingests Them
In a bizarre twist of events, Orlando police retrieve expensive earrings after a suspect swallows them.
In a bizarre crime saga, Orlando police successfully recovered two sets of Tiffany & Co. diamond earrings valued at a staggering $769,500, following claims that the alleged thief ingested them more than two weeks prior to their recovery. Jaythan Gilder, aged 32, allegedly stole the earrings while impersonating an assistant to a professional basketball player in a VIP area of the Tiffany store on February 26. According to the Orlando Police Department, as Mr. Gilder was apprehended, he was witnessed swallowing items believed to be the very earrings he had swiped.
Before being apprehended, police allege Mr. Gilder had distracted staff while making off with the jewelry. During his hasty exit, he inadvertently dropped a separate diamond ring valued at $587,000. After police located Mr. Gilder later that day, he reportedly expressed regret over his actions, allegedly remarking, "I should have thrown them out the window,” as he was taken into custody. Inside the jail, he further inquired if he would be charged for whatever lay in his stomach.
Doctors monitored Mr. Gilder for over twelve days at a hospital until the earrings were expelled from his body. The authorities released an x-ray showing a foreign object suspected to be the swallowed jewel. Detective Aaron Goss labeled the situation as a "marathon, not a sprint," reflecting on the prolonged monitoring of the suspect.
On March 12, police successfully extracted the earrings, which were later verified by Tiffany’s master jeweller through matching serial numbers. Gilder is currently held at Orange County Jail and has a troubling criminal history, including a robbery at another Tiffany & Co. branch in Texas and numerous outstanding warrants in Colorado. This case continues to unfold and raises questions about the lengths some individuals will go to commit theft.
