ILENSER
August 5th, 2002, 08:18 PM
FORT MYERS, Fla. -- A Fort Myers man who police say stole $115,000 in diamonds was foiled using an unlikely tool - a stomach X-ray.
Mark Kennedy, 38, was charged Wednesday with stealing a 16-inch gold necklace with 83 diamonds and two 0.75-carat loose diamonds from a Boca Raton jewelry store.
During a visit to the shop, Kennedy grabbed an envelope with the jewelry while the store's owner was distracted, police spokesman Jeff Kelly said.
Kennedy immediately left in his car, but owner Lee Mendelson quickly realized he had been robbed.
Mendelson called police and followed Kennedy. When confronted, Kennedy said he would return to the store to help find the missing jewelry, Kelly told a South Florida newspaper.
But Kennedy never returned and was later stopped by police, who arrested him for marijuana possession. Kennedy denied he was involved with the missing diamonds, and officers couldn't find them in his car or pockets, officials said.
Kennedy became ill at the police station and was taken to Boca Raton Community Hospital, where X-rays showed he had inserted the necklace into his rectum and swallowed the loose diamonds, Kelly said.
Kennedy told police he could retrieve the necklace.
"He pulled it out on his own," Kelly said. Kennedy later passed one of the two loose diamonds, Kelly said.
Kennedy was being held Thursday without bail at the Palm Beach County Jail, awaiting the recovery of the other diamond, which is thought to be somewhere in Kennedy's digestive system.
Calls to the Palm Beach County public defender's office and listings for the name Mark Kennedy in Fort Myers went unanswered Thursday.
Mark Kennedy, 38, was charged Wednesday with stealing a 16-inch gold necklace with 83 diamonds and two 0.75-carat loose diamonds from a Boca Raton jewelry store.
During a visit to the shop, Kennedy grabbed an envelope with the jewelry while the store's owner was distracted, police spokesman Jeff Kelly said.
Kennedy immediately left in his car, but owner Lee Mendelson quickly realized he had been robbed.
Mendelson called police and followed Kennedy. When confronted, Kennedy said he would return to the store to help find the missing jewelry, Kelly told a South Florida newspaper.
But Kennedy never returned and was later stopped by police, who arrested him for marijuana possession. Kennedy denied he was involved with the missing diamonds, and officers couldn't find them in his car or pockets, officials said.
Kennedy became ill at the police station and was taken to Boca Raton Community Hospital, where X-rays showed he had inserted the necklace into his rectum and swallowed the loose diamonds, Kelly said.
Kennedy told police he could retrieve the necklace.
"He pulled it out on his own," Kelly said. Kennedy later passed one of the two loose diamonds, Kelly said.
Kennedy was being held Thursday without bail at the Palm Beach County Jail, awaiting the recovery of the other diamond, which is thought to be somewhere in Kennedy's digestive system.
Calls to the Palm Beach County public defender's office and listings for the name Mark Kennedy in Fort Myers went unanswered Thursday.