"When Are You Going to the Bathroom?"... Police Desperate Over Thief Who Swallowed 1.1 Billion Won Earrings

Caught Robbing at Shopping Mall
Swallowed $770,000 Luxury Earrings
Police: "Will Retrieve Them Once Expelled"

A man who stole diamond earrings from a luxury store in the United States swallowed the earrings during his arrest, creating a bizarre situation. As a result, the police found themselves in the awkward position of having to wait for the suspect to pass the $770,000 (approximately 1.1 billion KRW) worth of jewelry through his stool.

X-ray image of the abdomen of a suspect who robbed diamond earrings from the luxury brand Tiffany in the United States. YouTube channel 'ABC7'

According to the South China Morning Post (SCMP) on the 6th, suspect Mr. A (male, 32) was caught by police after committing the robbery at a luxury store in Orlando.

On the 26th of last month, Mr. A deceived staff at a Tiffany & Co. store in Orlando by claiming he was purchasing diamond earrings and rings on behalf of a player from the Orlando Magic basketball team. The store staff guided him to a VIP room to allow him to view the jewelry in person.

After seeing the jewelry, Mr. A suddenly stood up, grabbed the earrings and rings, and attempted to flee. During the attempt to stop him, one employee was injured. The employee managed to knock a diamond ring worth $587,000 (approximately 847 million KRW) from Mr. A’s hand, but the $770,000 (approximately 1.1 billion KRW) earrings were stolen.

Stock photo unrelated to the content of the article. Pexels

The police identified Mr. A’s vehicle license plate through the shopping mall’s closed-circuit television (CCTV) and determined he was fleeing to Texas. Using a license plate tracking system, they located the vehicle and apprehended Mr. A on a highway near Washington County while he was driving with his rear lights off.

The media reported that Mr. A expressed regret inside the patrol car, saying, "I should have just thrown them out the window." He also reportedly asked, "Am I going to be charged because of what’s inside my stomach?"

An X-ray image released by the Orlando police clearly showed a white mass inside Mr. A’s digestive tract. The police stated, "This is presumed to be the stolen Tiffany earrings," and added, "We will recover them once they are expelled."

Mr. A has been charged with the felony of robbery and is currently held at the Orange County Jail, where Orlando is located. He has not yet appointed a lawyer. It is known that Mr. A committed theft at a Tiffany store in Texas in 2022 and is a habitual offender with as many as 48 arrest warrants issued in Colorado.