The suspect was monitored for nearly two weeks before the earrings were retrieved
In a bizarre turn of events, Orlando police successfully recovered two sets of diamond earrings worth a total of $769,500 after the suspect, 32-year-old Jaythan Gilder, allegedly swallowed them during his arrest on February 26, the BBC reported.
Detectives kept Gilder under medical supervision at an Orlando hospital for over 12 days until the stolen jewelry passed through his system, according to the Orlando Police Department.
He is currently facing charges of robbery with a mask and first-degree grand theft.
How the theft unfolded
According to authorities, Gilder posed as an assistant to an NBA player to gain access to a VIP room at a Tiffany & Co. store in Orlando, Florida. While inside, he was shown high-end jewelry.
He allegedly distracted store employees before fleeing with two pairs of diamond earrings. During his escape, he reportedly dropped a diamond ring worth $587,000.
Later that day, officers arrested Gilder and allegedly witnessed him swallowing several objects believed to be the stolen earrings.
‘I should have thrown them out the window’
According to police, while being transported to jail, Gilder was overheard saying, “I should have thrown them out the window,” as reported by CBS News.
Upon arrival at the jail, he allegedly asked staff, “Am I going to be charged with what’s in my stomach?”
Police later released an X-ray image showing a foreign object inside an individual’s abdomen.
The Orlando Police Department confirmed that Gilder was taken to a hospital, where he was monitored for nearly two weeks until the earrings were recovered.
Detective Aaron Goss remarked that the case “quickly turned into a marathon, not a sprint.”
Earrings returned to Tiffany & Co.
On March 12, police confirmed they had retrieved the fourth and final Tiffany & Co. earring.
Once the earrings were returned to the store, Tiffany & Co.’s master jeweler verified that the serial numbers matched those of the stolen items, according to Detective Goss.
Gilder is currently being held at the Orange County Jail.
A history of crime
Authorities allege that Gilder was involved in a 2022 robbery at a Tiffany & Co. store in Texas.
Additionally, he has 48 outstanding warrants for his arrest in Colorado.