ORLANDO, Fla. — Jurors have found Jaythan Gilder guilty of robbery and grand theft in the February 2025 grab of diamond earrings from a Tiffany & Co. shop inside Orlando’s Mall at Millenia, a case that drew attention because the stolen pieces ended up in his stomach.
The Office of State Attorney Monique Worrell prosecuted the case, and the verdict was announced Thursday. Florida Highway Patrol troopers made the traffic stop that ended in his arrest. A sentencing date has not been released.
According to prosecutors, Gilder walked into the store presenting himself as someone shopping on behalf of a professional basketball player. Staff brought out several high-dollar pieces for him to look at, including two pairs of earrings. He snatched the earrings, shoved past a worker who tried to block him and escaped by car.
Detectives tracked the getaway car as it headed west toward Texas. Florida Highway Patrol troopers pulled it over on Interstate 10 in Washington County after noticing it had no working rear lights.
As he was being taken into custody, Gilder was seen swallowing what investigators believed were the earrings. He was brought back to Orlando and taken to a hospital. Officers kept watch on him for close to two weeks until all four earrings were recovered, three on March 10 and the last on March 12, and serial numbers tied them to the store.
Worrell’s office said the case was about more than the money, pointing to the danger store workers faced when the theft turned violent. The conviction closes the trial phase of a case that began more than a year and a half ago at one of the busiest shopping centers in Orange County.
Section: More Orlando FL crime news
Filed under: Orlando FL Crime News
