ORLANDO, Fla. – A man from Texas was arrested by the Florida Highway Patrol for swallowing four stolen diamonds worth nearly $770,000.
On February 26, Jaythan Gilder, 32, posed as a personal shopper for an NBA player while stealing two pairs of diamond earrings at the Tiffany & Co. store in the Mall at Millenia.
During the heist, he also attempted to take a ring valued at $587,000, but a store employee intervened and made him drop it, according to the Orlando Police Department.
Police later found out about Gilder’s getaway car through surveillance footage. They tracked the vehicle’s license plate on the Florida Turnpike and Interstate 10, leading to his arrest near Chipley.
While in a patrol car, Gilder reportedly expressed regret, saying, “I should have thrown them out the window.” After the arrest, he asked correctional staff if he would be charged for what was in his stomach.
These statements raised concerns, prompting authorities to conduct an X-ray. The images suggested that the objects inside his stomach were indeed the stolen diamonds.
Gilder, with a criminal history and existing warrants in Colorado, was extradited to Orange County. He now faces serious charges, including grand theft and robbery with a mask.
As of Wednesday evening, the police had not yet recovered the earrings—one pair valued at $160,000 and the other at $609,500. This case highlights the lengths some will go to steal valuable items, illustrating the ongoing challenge of retail theft.
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Source linkFlorida,Orange County,Washington County,Orlando,Chipley,Crime
