Police: Woman swallows diamond ring

Story Tools YOUR E-MAIL ALERTS Offbeat Florida Theft or Create your own Manage alerts | What is this?

CLEARWATER, Florida (Reuters) -- A would-be jewel thief who swallowed a 1.5 carat diamond ring has been forced by nature to give up the evidence, Florida police said.

A Clearwater Police Department spokesman said Wednesday that Mary Flowers, 38, was arrested last week after a surveillance tape showed her putting the $20,000 ring in her mouth at a jewelry store in a mall.

Flowers denied swallowing the ring until an X-ray showed it was inside her.

She was kept under observation in a jail cell until the ring passed through her digestive system late Monday.

Flowers has been charged with grand theft with bail set at $5,000. Police are keeping the ring until the case is completed.

Story Tools		Subscribe to Time for $1.99

Father guilty of killing 9 of his children • Helicopter crashes near U.N. • Arrest in Aruba missing girl case • FDA panel OKs drug aimed at blacks

CNN/Money: Security alert issued for 40 million credit cards • Bin Laden deputy sends message • U.S. House votes to keep U.N. dues • Iran poll to go to run-off