Man Swallows Stolen Wedding Ring

Aug. 9, 2011— -- In an attempt to make off with a diamond wedding ring that he'd snatched from a couple's home, a Chicago man swallowed the evidence before it could be retrieved by its owner, according to police.

Wilfredo Gonzalez, 30, was working on a remodeling project on Aug. 5 for a Cicero, Ill., couple when he asked to use the bathroom at their home. When he returned, the wife noticed that her diamond ring was missing, and her husband confronted Gonzalez. The two got into a "tussle," according to Cicero Police Department spokesman Ray Hannania.

"The suspect pulled the ring from inside his shoe, held it in his hand to keep it away from the owners and then swallowed it," said Hannania. When police arrived, Gonzalez was read his Miranda rights and confessed to stealing the ring.

"They told him that swallowing the ring could be dangerous, so he agreed to an X-ray," said Hannania.Gonzalez was taken to a local hospital, where X-rays revealed the diamond wedding ring, valued at $1,600, inside his stomach.

The suspect was then transported to jail, where he was put in a rubber-room lockup equipped with bed pans."He was given medication to help make this transition easier and delivered the ring early [on Aug. 8] around 4 a.m.," said Hannania.

Police then recovered the ring, and returned it to the couple.

"We were glad we were able to get the ring back for the woman. It was her wedding ring, was pretty large and it was important to them," he said.

According to the Cook County State's Attorney's Office, Gonzalez has been charged with felony theft and faces up to three years in prison should he be convicted.

Gonzalez appeared in court Aug. 9 for a hearing where his bail was set at $10,000.