In an incident that reads like a bizarre crime caper, Jaythan Lawrence Gilder, 32, stands accused of swallowing nearly $1 million worth of Tiffany & Co. diamond jewelry. The theft occurred last Wednesday at the Mall of Millenia's Tiffany store in Orlando, where Gilder allegedly impersonated a representative for an Orlando Magic player and made off with valuable earrings and a ring. When caught, he ingested the pieces, as confirmed by scans at the Washington County Jail, as reported by WESH.
Gilder, hailing from Texas, had seized two pairs of diamond earrings with an estimated value of over $700,000 during the heist. According to arrest affidavits, Gilder injured an employee in his escape attempt and was seen on surveillance footage struggling with a sliding glass door. Jumping into a vehicle, he led police on a chase that culminated in his arrest by the Florida Highway Patrol, who was already loaded with 48 separate failure-to-appear warrants out of Colorado, as described by FOX 35 Orlando.
Upon arrest, an X-ray revealed bright, shiny "foreign objects" in Gilder's stomach, prompting authorities to patiently await the moment they would "pass through" his system. In his car, police discovered evidence tying him to the crime, including Tiffany & Co. earring forms, price tags, and a cell phone, further substantiating their case.
Gilder's criminal history suggests a pattern, with previous arrests for high-value jewelry thefts, notably a 2022 heist from another Tiffany's location, where his identity was confirmed through DNA left at the scene. The suspect's troubled legal past includes thefts ranging from rings to Rolexes, punctuated by a 2023 sentence served in a Texas Jail, FOX 35 Orlando detailed.
Currently, Gilder faces new charges of robbery and grand theft, as authorities and the public alike await the recovery of the expensive merchandise from their unconventional hiding place.
