Associated Press
LARGO — It’s not every day a suspected burglar gets busted with the goods — not on him, but in him.
The unusual discovery all began when Joseph Bravo Ramos was busted driving a car that was stolen during a burglary in a Safety Harbor neighborhood.
Ramos was taken to the Pinellas County Jail and sent through the xray scanner. That’s when the machine made a golden find, explains Sheriff Bob Gualtieri.
“Just when you think you have seen it all, this is a new one,” Gualtieri said.
Investigators say the 20-year-old suspected burglar had swallowed two gold necklaces.
The items were such a health threat doctors had to go in and surgically remove them.
“If you see in the x-rays they’re fairly good size chains. They were bunched up there, so they needed to be removed,” Gualtieri said.
This summer, Pinellas and Sarasota County jails installed hi-tech x-ray scanners to spot contraband, such as weapons and drugs, from getting into the jail. But jewelry in someone’s stomach is a first.
Ramos now sits in jail, minus the jewelry, facing more charges.
The stolen jewelry was returned to the victim, but the question now is, does she even want them back? Sheriff Gualtieri says yes.
“I know it was cleaned up, and they gave it back to her. I’m sure she’ll do something with it. I’m not sure exactly what, that’s a good question.”