Diamond Earrings Worth Nearly £600,000 Recovered After Suspect Swallows Jewellery
Detectives have retrieved four diamond earrings from a suspected thief two weeks after he allegedly swallowed the valuable jewelry, worth approximately £600,000, during his arrest, US police have stated.
Tiffany Store Incident and Jewelry Theft
The man, who was later detained in Florida, initially approached staff at a Tiffany & Co store expressing interest in purchasing earrings along with a diamond ring. He claimed to be acting on behalf of an Orlando Magic basketball player during the incident in February.
The jewelry theft occurred after he was escorted to a private room to view the items. According to the Orlando Police Department, he purportedly grabbed the diamond earrings and forcibly fled the premises.
Suspect Apprehended Miles Away
Law enforcement officers utilized shopping center security footage to identify the suspect’s vehicle license plate, enabling them to track the car.
A police report detailed that he was subsequently pulled over in Washington County, nearly 340 miles from the store, for operating a vehicle without functioning rear lights.
Jewellery Recovery and Confession
During transportation in the police vehicle, an officer reportedly overheard the suspect remark, “I should have thrown them out the window.” Furthermore, upon arrival at the Washington County jail, he allegedly questioned staff about potential charges related to “what is in my stomach,” as per the arrest report.
While some of the earrings were quickly located, the suspect was then transferred to a medical facility where detectives maintained surveillance pending the complete retrieval of evidence.
Detectives verified that the four recovered stolen earrings, estimated at $770,000 (£596,000), matched the serial numbers of the jewelry reported missing from the Tiffany store the previous month.
Charges Filed Against Suspect
Following the recovery of the diamond earrings, the apprehended man was taken to Orange County Jail. He now faces formal charges including armed robbery with a mask and grand theft in the first degree.