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Man in Florida Swallows Allegedly Stolen Tiffany & Co. Jewelry
The suspect allegedly stole almost $800,000 worth of diamond jewelry from a store in Orlando and then swallowed it during a traffic stop.
Jaythan Lawrence Gilder, 32, of Houston, Texas, is accused of stealing nearly $800,000 worth of jewelry from a Tiffany & Co. store in Orlando, Florida, and then swallowing the evidence.
Orlando, Fla.—A man in Florida faces charges of grand theft after allegedly robbing the Tiffany & Co. store at the Mall of Millenia in Orlando, Florida, and then swallowing the evidence.
Jaythan Lawrence Gilder, 32, of Houston, Texas, is accused of stealing nearly $800,000 worth of jewelry from the store on Feb. 26.
According to the arrest warrant affidavit filed in the case, an employee of the Tiffany & Co. store told police that Gilder posed as a representative for an Orlando Magic player who was looking to purchase diamond earrings and a diamond ring.
Due to the high value of the items, two employees led Gilder into a private viewing room, showing him a pair of 4.86-carat diamond solitaire earrings ($160,000), a pair of 8.19-carat diamond solitaire earrings ($609,500), and a 5.16-carat diamond solitaire ring ($587,000).
During the consultation, an employee told police that Gilder jumped out of his seat and grabbed all of the merchandise, injuring one employee as he fled, the affidavit states.
Jaythan Lawrence Gilder, 32, of Houston, Texas, is accused of stealing nearly $800,000 worth of jewelry from the store on Feb. 26.
According to the arrest warrant affidavit filed in the case, an employee of the Tiffany & Co. store told police that Gilder posed as a representative for an Orlando Magic player who was looking to purchase diamond earrings and a diamond ring.
Due to the high value of the items, two employees led Gilder into a private viewing room, showing him a pair of 4.86-carat diamond solitaire earrings ($160,000), a pair of 8.19-carat diamond solitaire earrings ($609,500), and a 5.16-carat diamond solitaire ring ($587,000).
During the consultation, an employee told police that Gilder jumped out of his seat and grabbed all of the merchandise, injuring one employee as he fled, the affidavit states.
The suspect, later identified as 32-year-old Jaythan Lawrence Gilder of Houston, Texas, is seen in surveillance video from the private viewing room at the Tiffany & Co. store.
Employees said Gilder jumped out of his chair during the consultation and ultimately fled with two pairs of diamond earrings.
Gilder allegedly got away with the two pairs of earrings, valued at a combined $769,500.
One of the Tiffany employees managed to recover the ring by slapping it out of Gilder’s hand as he struggled to open the viewing room doors, according to the affidavit.
Based on video surveillance and employee interviews, officials said it was clear that the jewelry was “taken by force and fear … with resisting a merchant or battering a merchant.”
The getaway vehicle was seen in surveillance video and tracked using toll records and public safety cameras.
He was stopped by Florida Highway Patrol hours later due to a traffic violation.
As he was being taken into custody, he swallowed several items, suspected to be the stolen jewelry, the affidavit states, and a live scan at the Washington County Jail confirmed there were foreign objects in his stomach.
At the time of his arrest, Gilder was held on resisting charges separate from this incident and 48 separate “failure to appear” warrants from the state of Colorado.
Detectives obtained a search warrant for his vehicle and found Tiffany & Co. earrings forms and matching price tags.
They also found an arm bandage and a gauze nose covering in the vehicle. Gilder had no related injuries, said officials, who determined he wore these items, along with the hat, to try to disguise his identity.
At the jail, Gilder “spontaneously” asked staff, “Am I going to be charged with what’s in my stomach?,” as per the affidavit.
The arresting officer also allegedly heard Gilder say, “I should have thrown them out the window.”
Gilder is being charged with grand theft in the first degree and robbery with a mask.
A search of his criminal history found he had been charged with a “near identical” robbery/theft of a Tiffany & Co. store in Woodlands Township, Texas, in 2022, the affidavit notes.
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