Man allegedly stole, 'swallowed' client's ring

CHICAGO: A Chicago-area home repairman was charged with felony theft on Tuesday after he allegedly tried to hide the evidence by gulping it down, presumably without chewing first.

Prosecutors say 30-year-old Wilfredo Gonzalez was helping remodel a home in Cicero, Illinois, last Friday when he allegedly stole a diamond ring the homeowner had left in her bathroom.

When she realized the ring was missing, the homeowner had her husband confront Gonzalez, according to the Cook County State's Attorney's Office.

The repairman at first denied taking the ring. But when the confrontation turned into a struggle, prosecutors say he pulled the ring out of the place he had hidden it and swallowed it.

Police were called and took Gonzalez to a hospital, where a stomach X-ray revealed the missing ring working its way down his gastrointestinal tract.

The officers subsequently retrieved the missing ring.

Gonzalez faces up to three years in prison if convicted.