A man suspected of theft made headlines after swallowing two pairs of diamond earrings valued at around $1,200 during his arrest on a highway in the Florida Panhandle last week. The 32-year-old Texan allegedly snatched the earrings from a Tiffany & Co. store in an upscale Orlando shopping centre before attempting to escape.
While in a police car, he reportedly expressed regret about not discarding the earrings, asking jail staff if he would face charges for what he had ingested. His actions raised concerns for the authorities, as an X-ray later indicated a white mass in his digestive system, believed to be the stolen jewellery. According to the police report, these items will need to be retrieved once they have passed through his system.
The incident unfolded on a Wednesday when the suspect posed as a potential customer, claiming he was shopping on behalf of an Orlando Magic basketball player. After being escorted to a VIP room to view the jewellery, he suddenly leapt up, grabbed the earrings, and attempted to flee. During this commotion, one of the sales associates was injured while trying to stop him but managed to knock a diamond ring, worth an astonishing $927,000, from his grasp.
Using surveillance footage from the mall, investigators traced the suspect’s vehicle and pursued him on the Florida Turnpike and Interstate 10, eventually pulling him over for driving without operational rear lights in Washington County, nearly 550 kilometres from the crime scene. He now faces serious charges, including first-degree felony grand theft and third-degree robbery while wearing a mask.
As of Wednesday, court records suggested that he did not have legal representation. He remained in police custody in Orange County, close to Orlando, while detectives awaited the recovery of the swallowed earrings.