Repairman Charged With Stealing Diamond Ring, Swallowing It
MAYWOOD, Ill. (CBS) -- A home repairman is charged with stealing a diamond ring from the owners of a house where he was working, then swallowing it when he got caught.
Wilfredo Gonzalez, 30, of Chicago, is charged with one count of felony theft, and could go to prison for three years if convicted, according to the Cook County State's Attorney's office.
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Gonzalez was on a remodeling job in Cicero this past Friday, when he asked to go to the bathroom. When he finished, the homeowner noticed her diamond ring was missing, and told her husband who asked Gonzalez about it, prosecutors said.
Gonzalez denied taking the ring, and got into a fight with the husband. While they were struggling, Gonzalez took the ring from where he had hidden it on his person, and gulped it down, prosecutors said.
Police were called, and Gonzalez was taken to a hospital nearby. Sure enough, X-rays showed that the ring was sitting in his stomach, prosecutors said.
The ring was recovered by Cicero police. The State's Attorney's office has not specified how.
Gonzalez's bail was set at $10,000 at the Maybrook Courthouse in Maywood Tuesday. He is due to return in one week, on Aug. 16, for a preliminary hearing.
