A man is facing charges for allegedly swallowing $769,500 worth of jewelry he stole from a Tiffany & Co. store.
According to PEOPLE, 32-year-old Jaythan Gilder was charged with first-degree grand theft and robbery with a mask in connection to the alleged theft from the Tiffany & Co. store at the Mall at Millenia in Orlando last month.
Police said Gilder accessed the jewelry by impersonating a representative for an Orlando Magic player who was interested in making a purchase. Gilder was allegedly taken to a VIP room to view two pairs of diamond earrings before he grabbed the jewelry from the counter. He is also accused of stealing a ring worth $587,000.
“Gilder forcefully took the earrings and resisted an employee’s attempts to stop him,” the Orlando Police Department said. “Gilder then ran out of the store and into the parking lot, where he got into a vehicle and fled.”
Detectives identified Gilder’s getaway vehicle, and he was stopped while driving on Interstate 10 towards Texas.
“When Gilder was taken into custody, he resisted arrest and was seen swallowing several objects believed to be the stolen earrings,” police said. “With the help of the Washington County Sheriff’s Office, investigators executed a search warrant to locate the stolen property.”
A body scan taken in jail revealed “foreign objects” in Gilder’s stomach believed to be the missing earrings.
According to his arrest affidavit, Gilder “spontaneously asked jail staff” if he was going to be “charged with what’s in my stomach.” Gilder’s arresting trooper said he heard Gilder admit, “I should have thrown them out the window.”
Authorities found Tiffany & Co. earring forms, price tags, and receipts after searching Gilder’s vehicle.
“A search of Gilder’s criminal history revealed a similar robbery incident in 2022 at a Tiffany & Co. store in The Woodlands, Texas,” police said.
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