Man Who Swallowed Diamond Ring Pleads Guilty To Theft
CHICAGO (STMW) -- A man whose theft of a diamond ring from a west suburban home was proven by an X-ray of his stomach pleaded guilty Tuesday and was sentenced to 12 days in jail and two years' probation.
Wilfredo Gonzalez, 30, of Chicago, was charged Aug. 8 with one count of felony theft, the Cook County State's Attorney's office said.
On Tuesday, he pleaded guilty and was sentenced by Judge Gilbert Grossi. He was also ordered to have no contact with the victims, state's attorney's office spokesman Andy Conklin said.
According to prosecutors, Gonzalez was doing remodeling work in a Cicero home on Aug. 5 when he asked to use the restroom. When he finished, the homeowner noticed her diamond ring missing and told her husband, who confronted Gonzalez.
Gonzalez denied taking the ring and they began to struggle. During the struggle, Gonzalez took the ring from where he'd hidden it in his shoe and swallowed it, prosecutors allege.
Cicero police took Gonzalez to MacNeal Hospital in Berwyn, where X-rays of his stomach showed the ring, according to police.
Gonzalez was then placed in a rubber-room lockup filled with bedpans after being given medication to force the expulsion of the ring, police spokesman Ray Hanania said.
The ring was finally recovered on Aug. 8, Hanania said.
The homeowner was able to get the ring back after it was "thoroughly cleaned," Hanania said.
(Source: Sun-Times Media Wire © Chicago Sun-Times 2010. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.)
