A suspect allegedly swallowed more than $750,000 worth of Tiffany & Co. earrings following a jewelry heist in Florida, police said.
The Orlando Police Department released an image purportedly showing several objects inside the stomach of Jaythan Gilder, 32, after he was taken into custody last Wednesday.
Gilder first arrived at the Tiffany & Co. store in the Mall at Millenia that day “claiming to represent a professional athlete” and “was shown several high-value pieces of jewelry, including two pairs of earrings worth $769,500,” Orlando Police said in a statement.
He then “forcefully took the earrings and resisted an employee’s attempts to stop him” while running out of the store, according to police.
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Jaythan Gilder, 32, allegedly swallowed pairs of stolen Tiffany & Co. diamond earrings following a heist in Orlando, Florida, on Feb. 26, police said. (Orlando Police Department)
“Through investigative means, detectives were able to identify the getaway vehicle and the route it was taking toward Texas. Shortly after the theft, the Florida Highway Patrol was notified and spotted the vehicle driving without rear lights on Interstate 10 in Washington County,” Orlando Police said. “A traffic stop was made based on the observed violation, and the driver was identified as Gilder.
“When Gilder was taken into custody, he resisted arrest and was seen swallowing several objects believed to be the stolen earrings,” police added. “With the help of the Washington County Sheriff’s Office, investigators executed a search warrant to locate the stolen property.”
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Jaythan Gilder is seen looking at jewelry at the Tiffany & Co. store at the Mall at Millenia on Feb. 26, according to the Orlando Police Department. (Orlando Police Department)
An arrest report said Gilder claimed to represent a player on the NBA’s Orlando Magic team and that the pairs of missing diamond earrings were spotted inside his stomach following a body scan, according to WFLA.
“These foreign objects are suspected to be the Tiffany & Co earrings taken in the robbery but will need to be collected by WCSO after they are passed through Gilder’s system prior to confirming,” the document reportedly said.
At one point, Gilder asked staff at a local jail if he was going to be “charged with what’s in my stomach,” WFLA also reported, citing the arrest report.
Gilder was ultimately charged with robbery with a mask and grand theft in the first degree, involving stolen goods valued at $100,000 or more.
Gilder fled the Tiffany & Co. store on Feb. 26 after grabbing jewelry, the Orlando Police Department said. (Orlando Police Department)
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“A search of Gilder’s criminal history revealed a similar robbery incident in 2022 at a Tiffany & Co. store in The Woodlands, Texas, as well as 48 separate warrants out of Colorado,” the Orlando Police Department also said.
