March Mailbag: Hilarious Listener Stories and Low-Stakes Crimes

The Very First Moms and Mysteries Mailbag!

Mandy and Melissa are trying something new: a Mailbag episode where they share stories submitted by listeners!

This bonus episode is a break from the usual deep-dive case format. Instead of covering a single murder or mystery, Mandy and Melissa read and react to hilarious, bizarre, and low-stakes crime stories sent in by the Moms and Mysteries community.

What Kind of Stories Are in the Mailbag?

Listeners submitted a variety of stories, including:

•Absurd local news headlines - Those "Florida Man" style stories that make you say, "Wait, WHAT?"

•Family members who committed petty crimes - Think shoplifting, minor fraud, or ridiculous scams (nothing violent or serious!)

•Brushes with crime - Times when listeners had a connection to a crime or criminal, but weren't directly involved

The goal? To have fun, laugh, and enjoy the lighter side of true crime.

Plus, it gives them a chance to interact with listeners in a new way!

Mandy and Melissa's Personal Stories

In addition to reading listener submissions, Mandy and Melissa share some of their own embarrassing moments:

•Melissa's radio station obsession: Melissa confesses that as a kid, she would call the radio station constantly to request Tim McGraw's "I Like It, I Love It." She called so many times in one day that the DJ recognized her voice and gently told her they'd already played it 10 minutes ago. Mortifying!

•Mandy's mailbag trauma: Mandy admits she never sends in stories to mailbags or tries to be the "10th caller" anymore because she's convinced she'll never be chosen. It's a lifelong trauma, apparently.

A Lighter Side of True Crime

This episode is perfect for listeners who:

•Want a break from heavy, dark cases

•Love community-driven content

•Enjoy hearing Mandy and Melissa just chat and laugh

•Appreciate the absurdity of low-stakes crime

It's still true crime—just with a lot more laughs and a lot less murder.

Submit Your Story!

Want to be featured in the next Mailbag episode? Send your story to Moms and Mysteries!

Whether it's a bizarre local news story, a family member's petty crime, or your own brush with the law, Mandy and Melissa want to hear it.

Submit through Instagram (@momsandmysteries) or the website (momsandmysteries.com).

The Mailbag is open—and Mandy and Melissa can't wait to read your stories!

TRANSCRIPT:

[00:00:00] Hey guys, and welcome to our very first ever mailbag bonus episode. Yay. Is that what we're calling it, Melissa? I mean, until somebody comes up with a better name and that somebody will not be me. So feel free to send in your suggestions. Yeah, I'm actually very excited about this. This is such a fun different thing to do for us.

Yes. It's if you weren't well, if you weren't here, if you were absent last week when we talked about what we were doing here. Uh, Melissa, what are we doing here? Oh, thank you for passing the ball to me. Basically, we asked people to share some stories. Either one person sent in, like a local news story from their town, which is.

Absolutely hilarious. Uh, other people send in things of family members who may have committed, you know, low stakes crimes. So we're gonna do it this week. We'll figure out if you guys like it. If there's anything you wanna send in, we would love to share them. This is kind of like a fun way to do something a little lighter.

It's not on Patreon, it's not a subscription thing. Since we're no longer doing [00:01:00] lasting before we go, we thought this would be kind of a fun thing to put in its place as a little bonus. Yeah. And it gives us a little freedom to just. Have a little fun and chat a little bit. Absolutely. So, uh, Mandy, have you ever had an experience with a mailbag?

Do you ever send in like, comments on these kind of things? Because I can only think of one time I've done this. I don't, I feel like I used to try and do stuff all the time when I was younger, you know, like a teenager, I would always be the one that wanted to like text the radio station. My gosh. Yeah. Or try to be the 10th caller or whatever.

And it never worked for me. Right. So like I feel like I just. You let it go very early to give up on things like that. And I do not write into mailbag things anymore because I just deep down feel like they're not gonna choose me. And maybe that is just part of my lifelong trauma. You know, I still will randomly, if I hear something the few times I'm on, listen to the radio and I'll hear like the 10th nationwide caller.

And there's just [00:02:00] part of me that really wants to still hope. So this isn't a mailbag thing. This is just like the little part of me that. Is hopeful and Right. I try to say that I'm not ever, like, I'm all, you know, doom and gloom sometimes, but really, I, I like to think that I did call into a radio station one time, 20, oh my gosh, how old am I?

30 years ago? Oh my gosh. And that's the worst sentence I've ever said. And I asked, I asked the, uh, radio back when you could request songs. Yes. Could you please play Tim McGraw's? I like it. I love it. And apparently I did it a lot that day, which is par for the course for me. And the guy said, Hey, Melissa, whenever you heard my voice, he's like, we played it about 10 minutes ago.

We'll play it in the next hour. And I wanted to die. Oh my gosh. I remember those days of having to, or you didn't have to, but you could call in and then you had to request a song and then you could. You would be waiting so you could record it onto your little record play at the same [00:03:00] time? Yeah. Mm-hmm.

And you would record the song onto a cassette tape? Probably one that your mom really enjoyed and wanted to absolutely have the whatever was originally on there, and you just selfishly. Recorded the radio over the top of the, I mean, was it selfishly? There was a time when I was obsessed with that Michael Jackson song from Free Willie, and I remember I listen to it all the time, but I remember them talking at the beginning of it, like, you know, right when they were starting to play it.

I was like, are you kidding me? I've had to wait like 10 hours for this and you're telling me the weather shut up. So. That's not the point of this at all, at all, but there's a little of what you can expect. Um, so the first one I wanted to share is an anonymous one. This comes to us from Instagram and uh, I really enjoyed this story.

So this lovely person sent us a message saying basically they live in the Placerville area of. California. She [00:04:00] didn't say, I couldn't say where she lived 'cause she actually spelled it out for me. This person has been to at least the Placerville area of California and gave us a little command news, which.

We've been doing on our bonus. I thought we gotten away from Samaa, but No, we haven't. And hope you're ready. There's still more. Yeah. I'm gonna quote her directly. She said I worked at an adventure camp in Koma. We have a fourth grade California living history program where teachers bring their fourth graders to our camp and they can pan for gold, make candles, and tour the site where gold was discovered, and do all those other fun things that kids did back in 1849, which I feel like.

She listed those things, those, those sound like it. That and Distant Tree is about all you were doing. Um, she said it's a Christian adventure camp, so not surprising when the majority of our fourth graders were from Christian schools, including the school where Amanda Riley was principal. No, we were already [00:05:00] shocked that Amanda re became a principal.

Oh my gosh. But to have a sort of run in with the school. I can't imagine. But she also said that there was a teacher there that had cancer that's discussed in the documentary, and she met her. And so, oh my gosh. Can you imagine learning this? Wow. Like. Obviously people were scammed by Amanda face to face people she knew.

Right. But to learn this about like people you've had contact with is so no creepy. I know. It really is such a small world. It it really is in the worst way and the best way sometimes, but also sometimes in the worst way. It depends on if you're riding the, it's a small world, uh, right, yeah. Like if you have small kids with you or if you're an adult having to sit in that.

Um, and she had one more once removed, long. Short story is what she called it. So as you said, at the time when JC Dugard was found alive back in 2009, which I can't believe that was like 16 years ago, oh my gosh. She volunteered at the El Dorado County Jail [00:06:00] and because. JC had been abducted from Southlake Tahoe, which is part of El Dorado County.

I say this as if we know this, her captures were detained in the El Dorado County Jail. So there are tons of trees and mountains and this vastness of land between Placerville and Southlake. Tahoe. So it never dawned on her that they would be in the same jail that she was volunteering at, oh my God, until she went to volunteer a couple days after they were detained and signs were posted all over the doors that Philip and Nancy Garrido were declining.

Any requests for interviews from the media? Wow. I love that. That's the statement. Not like stay out of here. It's like, no, everyone needs to know no more. They're not doing it right. Too much press. This is like Kardashian level in the worst way that they're doing that. That is insane, isn't it? And so she was saying it was just creepy to think they were there in the local jail at the same time that she's volunteering, which I can imagine that would [00:07:00] freak me out.

Yeah. Have you ever had like a run in with any or a close call with anyone that was kind of like either, uh, infamous in a true crime case or adjacent in a true crime case? Yes, and it has to do with somebody that's in the media right now, me just getting, well, that we live in Orlando, so of course this will make sense.

We're not gonna name this person because apparently they're saying a lot about like. Uh, slander and stuff. So I don't wanna name names, but if you know somebody that recently got TikTok and you were like, why do you have TikTok? This is a terrible idea. That's who we're talking about. A person from Orlando, Florida.

Yes. From Orlando, Florida. Mandy, what's your connection to that world? Uh, that person's father I met probably about. Three or four years after, um, oh, the crime that she was accused and acquitted of Uhhuh and he was working at a flea market at Oh wow. I say working. He had a stand at [00:08:00] the flea market and um, was like selling a bunch of like, it was almost like an odds and ends place.

Like if you can imagine like where you just go in, there was like old toys, like, 'cause I actually bought something from. This store for my son, it was like a little pedal car thing, like Oh, an old school one. And my son was younger and I was looking specifically for one that you could like actually use your, you know Yeah, yeah.

Like Flintstone type of car. But it was like a race car. Right. But there was all these other like trinkets and like vintage toys. Yeah. Old board games, like, just a lot of like random things like that. And I realized very quickly because I watched every single bit of news that was related to, uh, that case.

Right. And, uh, realized that it was. In fact the dependent Father, father. Father, father, yeah. So that was strange. But yes, um, it was weird, wild that he was in a front facing position because I actually would've thought. They weren't, especially at that time because it was still so big here. Like it, it's still [00:09:00] big, but yeah, I'm, well, at the time I remember he had kind of like gone off grid.

The flea market where I saw him was not Orlando. Okay. So it was actually, uh, he had moved. He relocated over towards the East coast, and that's kind of where I saw, uh, where I ran into him. So, um, I thought that was very interesting. But other than that, I've never really, I don't think I've ever, I don't think I have.

Right. So my same person, because clearly we are two of a kind on this one. I have a couple connections to this person. One was I worked at a doctor's office and. I, I remember telling you this. I think I told you this. Yeah. I got an email from the mother the week that everything happened and didn't realize it until like a few months later, like, oh, I met her.

I don't, I, I don't have any memory of it, but I know the week I. When she had come in. But um, it wasn't, you know, that exciting I guess when she was there or she didn't bring very good food because that's why I didn't remember. But it wouldn't have been the worst either. 'cause I remember those people and then [00:10:00] also somebody at the hospital was neighbors with them, so she was like giving us all this inside information.

That was crazy. And the biggest one, my claim to fame, which isn't a claim to anything. And actually I've never claimed this before. From back in Tallahassee, someone that was very close that was in the news and all that stuff during the case. Uh, I, my family was friends with his family back then, and I knew him.

Uhhuh still know him, but it was very like, it was like, what is, what is happening in this world that there were so many. Connections there. Yeah. Yeah. And even the Tallahassee one, that one really blew my mind because it's, you know, it's weird here, but like, I was like, how? Right? How is that happening? So anyway, those are our, uh, about one case that we're not gonna name.

And hopefully you figured out what that was about, but we didn't give you enough clues, so there's no way you figured it out. No possible way. Yeah. Mandy, do you have another story you wanna share? Yeah, so this [00:11:00] one is actually really short, sweet, and I love it. Probably plenty to say about it because it's just that head scratching.

Mm-hmm. And it truly does sound like something you would hear either on our podcast or on a television show. But this was sent in from Rebecca on Instagram and she just said. Her uncle used to rob banks on a bike for a bit on a bike. I love it on a bike and just for a little bit casually like that was just a hobby he had for a little while.

He was just robbing banks on a bike and the media called him the bicycle bandit. I mean, what really makes the story right? What really makes the story that much more interesting is that Rebecca's dad was actually. Kind of the, uh, police chief for the local area. And he found out that his brother was the bicycle bandit when he got a phone call from the FBI saying, Hey, we need you to, uh, serve a warrant on this guy.

And turns out it was his brother, his brother's the bicycle bandit. And I guess the rest is history. How's Thanksgiving at your house, [00:12:00] Rebecca? I wanna know more. I know. Well, do you see the other note she left that we could share her name because it's That's right. She said it's all funny in their family.

Yeah, right. It's all good. Um, bicycle, bandit did his time and. Apparently is now a productive member of society, so I'm very happy to hear that. And that's a fun family. I just wanna know how Thanksgiving dinner goes. Yeah. Yeah. But that's a fun family. If everybody's like, yeah, the bicycle bandit's here. And if anything goes stolen or uh, gets stolen, I guess you immediately are like.

I mean, sorry, we have to look at you first, right? Yeah. But family is family. We love them. Family is family. So the next one we're sharing is from Jamie. She said, I saw on Instagram you were requesting ridiculous crime stories and wanted to share this one with you. It happened in the city. I live in Columbus, Ohio, and the basic gist of this is there is a man that was accused of breaking into, um, some Columbus businesses.

Including a pet store where animals were set loose and he was being held on $10,000 bond. His last [00:13:00] name is Pancake. I have never love that. I've never met anybody, but I am kind of jealous. That's kind of a cool name. Uh, he's 31. He was charged with breaking and entering and vandalism and. The crazy thing is there's this video evidence that shows this man with long hair wearing leopard print pajamas that was inside the restaurant that had been broken into.

'cause he like was very busy this day. And while they were searching the area, they discovered that one of the famous footwear stores, um, had also been broken into. And they believe that he was actually involved in like three different. Break-ins in the area, but like very different. First of all, different leopard print pants, right?

Will pajamas will get you caught. But police ultimately recovered two dogs, multiple birds, a hamster, and at least two bunnies who were set loose. There was still, I don't, I don't understand why setting them like he just wanted to set them free and not take them home and love them forever. Yeah, I, I mean, I don't understand.

I know, of [00:14:00] course you don't understand. Um, can I tell you my hamster story? Well, it's actually my dad's story. I have a terrible hamster story that I'm willing to share. It's actually more of a confession, but let's hear yours first. Okay. Well, mine is a confession of my dad. He told my kids this story recently and we were cracking up so much.

So my dad, like, I guess they had no. I shouldn't say they had no moral compass, but like he told this story like it was just no big deal. And something they did on a Saturday. He tells the story of how he really wanted a hamster, but his mom wouldn't let him have one. So he and his friends went in the hamster store and they're walking around and they're picking him up and you know, somehow they're gonna get out with these hamsters.

They're trying to come up with an idea and my dad takes a hamster, puts it on his head. Puts a hat over it and when he goes to the end of the store, like to the store, he's like, it was like, he didn't say this, but it reminds me of Rat Oui that like is jumping up, running in circles on his head. And he said he can just feel the hamster running [00:15:00] around.

He's like, okay, we're gonna go bye and leaves. The craziest part soap. He stole that hamster. But the craziest part is he used this hat trick more than once. One time he used it to steal a pickle. It was really, does the same thing, puts a pickle on his head and he said, I could feel the juice coming down the side.

I my feet. And he said, he was like patting his face. He's like, oh, it's really hot out today. Oh my gosh. So my dad has a million stories, but I, I don't know. That hamster one cracks me up. Just the visual of a little kid with a hat and the, oh my gosh. Hamster running around. I love it. Well, I feel like I don't feel as bad to share my story now.

And your dad and I have something in common. I guess we are both. Oh, a reformed hamster. Thiefs, Mandy. Yeah. So I probably was around, I don't know, maybe eight or years old, maybe even a little bit younger, maybe seven, eight, somewhere around there. Okay. And I had a friend who had a hamster, and of course I thought it was adorable uhhuh.

And I wanted it. And I wanted one. Right, right. And my [00:16:00] mom did not want to have a hamster, which as a mom, I now understand. Right. Why? Mm-hmm. You wouldn't want to get me a hamster. You've had hamsters before, haven't you? I did, and we got rid of them once. I heard a story about them going into the walls and dying and we were renting and I was terrified of it happened.

Oh, fun, fun. Yeah. So anyway, long story short, I stole my friend's hamster. You stole her hamster. I stole my friend's answer. Terrible friend. Right? Like I, I like, and now looking back, I'm like, what? Like what was I thinking? How did I think I was gonna get away with this? Like, did you even have a hat with you?

I didn't even have a hat with me. I stuck it in my jacket pocket. It was a tiny one. Like it was so tiny. So anyway, and it gets, the story just gets even more ridiculous and worse and just goes to show how stupid kids really are and like how kids just don't think things through at all. 'cause I had no plan beyond, no, I'm gonna take this hamster back to my house.

Mm-hmm. Having no cage to keep it in, no food to feed it. You didn't need it. Absolutely nothing. Right. So then, then you were going on a high. Once I get the hamster to my house, I'm like, well now I have to [00:17:00] come up with a story for why I have this hamster here. Right? Like, oh my gosh. I have to figure a way to tell my mom like I have an animal to take care of.

'cause I can't just like not take care of it. And now you need food and you need a cage and she's gotta get involved now. Exactly. So. I was like, brilliant. I'm just gonna tell her I found a hamster outside, right? Like she's totally gonna believe that, that I just was outside playing in the yard. You'll never see that.

I just happened to find a hamster. And you know, it may have worked if it wasn't for the fact that my mom was also friends with my friend's mom. No. Stole the hamster from, and so my mom was aware that they had gotten the hamster and it was now missing. So my mom, of course was like, tell me the truth. Like where did you really, where did you really find this hamster?

Outside? Mm-hmm. Obviously she knew, you know, but of course at that time as a kid. I'm thinking like she totally doesn't know. She doesn't realize that this is the same hamster. What are the odds? So [00:18:00] I'm committed to my story that I just found this hamster outside and talk about one of the biggest embarrassments of my life.

My mom had my friend and her mom come over to our, yeah. And she asked them if this was their hamster that was missing. And it was, of course, I knew that it was, and I don't even remember what I said. I. Probably blanked out whatever happened next because it was probably like so embarrassing and mortifying and like, I don't even remember what I came up with for like a reason.

I don't remember even talking to that girl ever again. That was gonna be my next question. What was your relationship? Because apparently the moms were friends. Um, yeah. Well, actually years later, my younger sister became friends with. My friend's younger sister and they started hanging out with each other.

But me and that girl never ended up being like friends after weird much after that. I now imagine. Um, but now looking back on it, I'm like, what in the world was I thinking, trying to steal someone's pet and thinking that I was just gonna pass it off? Like I found this thing [00:19:00] outside. I love that there's a girl out there that somehow like.

Knows that you have a True Crime podcast and tells other people the story of a friend that stole our hamster, like there's a totally different point of view out there. Um, if you're listening, I'd love to hear your point of view. Please share it with us. Please come forward with your side of the story.

Okay. Oh my gosh. Mandy, do you wanna share this next story? Okay. Yeah. So I have one here. This is just a story that was sent in and we're gonna keep it kind of, not vague, but just casual, saying it in a way where we protect the identities of everyone involved, right? While some of the people involved possibly.

Uh, so I'm just gonna read it for what it is. And 'cause it's crazy enough. Yeah. There's no need for me to put it into my own words. Okay. The chairman of a police commission in a small New England town has resigned after being arrested in Florida for attempting to cash in a half million dollar lottery ticket that had been reported stolen by a close family member.

So. [00:20:00] We're calling him Chuck Tater, this guy? Mm-hmm. This chairman, we're gonna call him Chuck Tater was arrested at Florida Lottery Headquarters and released on Bond and in a short resignation email sent to the local clerk, he made it clear that he would be stepping down immediately stating that he didn't want his personal issues to affect the police commission or the department.

He later denied any wrongdoing, asserting that he was innocent and would work to clear his name. The charges against him include filing a false claim, attempting to pass the stolen ticket with intent to defraud, and of course, grand theft. His family member had shown him this winning ticket before reporting it stolen to the police, and while Tater claimed that he found the ticket under his car seat, that obviously was not true.

He pulled a Mandy. What if he had a hamster and a lottery ticket and it's truly wild? So the ticket was flagged, of course, when he attempted to cash it in because it had been reported stolen. And this led to his arrest as chairman. Tater had been involved [00:21:00] in a high profile case regarding a police officer settlement over a past incident.

And despite the unpaid nature of his position, his resignation came amidst growing scrutiny. Oh my gosh. I can't imagine like telling a family member, which I'm guessing that's kind of how this went down. He has to know you have this ticket and then somebody in your family, not even a friend who wants a hamster, somebody in your own family that knows like you've got this money, takes it from you and tries to cash it in and thinks you'd just be like, I guess we lost it.

Right. Wow. And like what a coincidence that you. Right. I also won a million dollars. Like, wow, what the odd, not real. Literally they don't exist because this is the biggest lie in the world. That's so crazy. Okay, I have one and I've gotta read mine from my phone because mine have pictures. Okay. I see your notes here.

Um. It just says have in my photos. Yeah. Well, I have to put notes like that to myself because I won't remember what I was doing. This one is from [00:22:00] Ani Peterson. She showed me how to spell her name, which was very helpful. Thank you for doing that. Uh, she sent it from the Rexburg, I think it's Rexburg, Idaho Police Department.

There is a picture of a man and it says, gotta steal 'em all. One dedicated collector has decided to risk it all, meaning their college education in order to expand their collection of Pokemon cards. We admire the passion, but we don't endorse the illegal theft. A true Pokemon trainer exercises self-discipline and integrity.

This collector has made a common habit of pocketing cards and walking out without paying, is this you and you wanna come clean, reach out to us and make things right? And then it's like, is this your roommate, your friend, your classmate, blah, blah, blah. Um, the Rexburg department is posting a reward of five first generation cards for information leading to the identification.

So they brought Pokemons Wow. Back in the game. Wow, I love it so much. And then the police department, they are standing with the found [00:23:00] Pokemon cards and it says, with help from the community, we are proud to announce the suspect in our Pokemon theft was identified and charged. The cards have been recovered.

I just love that they went full in on Pokemon trainer, like their social media people. Right? Sometimes the social media people at like very serious places like the police department. Are incredible and I love it so much. Hilarious. Yes. So good and so witty. I know. I love it too. Okay, so I have one here from.

Right here in our home state. I mean, right here. Yeah. In, well, we're not in Polk County, Florida, but we hear a lot about Polk County, Florida, a lot about Polk County, Florida. So this is a very Florida person story. It kind of reminds me of the story that came out a long time ago about the, I. But pretty sure it was a police officer and his girlfriend who had called 9 1 1 because they smoked marijuana and thought they were going to die.

Yes, yes. Do remember this? Mm-hmm. So that one was also a Florida story of course. And you're like, wow. What is happening here? Uh, this is kind of the same thing, basically, the idea of doing something wrong and calling the police on yourself. Yeah. [00:24:00] Mm-hmm. Like when there's really no need to do that. Uh, so authorities say that two people in Polk County broke into a home, stole some items, and then they were having a little bit of trouble moving all these stolen items on their own.

Sure. So they called. Not a moving company, but 9 1 1. Yeah. Because typically the police love to come and assist moving. I know. And two men in a truck were just apparently booked. They couldn't get them, so they had to find the police officer. It's crazy, right? Yeah. So, uh, somebody had called 9 1 1. They didn't speak to the dispatcher though, so they sent deputies out there to go check and find out what was going on.

They ended up finding these two people, a man and a woman. Figured out that they don't live there and that they had entered this residence through an unlocked door. My gosh, the man was someone they already kind of knew. They already knew this guy's name. He had been, um, seen on surveillance video, burglarizing, a Dollar General store earlier that same day.

So they were kind of like, Hmm, make it a party. Right. So the two of them were taken into custody and questioned, and the woman admitted that [00:25:00] she was the one who called 9 1 1 with the purpose of having law enforcement assist them with moving their belongings. Uhhuh the one. The ones that they were stealing Sure.

I guess into a car or a truck. Uh, and they were also additionally trying to get a ride to the airport because they wanted to go out to New York for the weekend. Well, now they need to celebrate things that, right. These are all things that the police are well known for helping, if you wish. So according to the Sheriff's office, the man was arrested and charged with burglary and theft in connection to the dollar store, burglary, and also burglary of a residence.

And the woman was arrested and charged with burglary of a residence as well. And Sheriff Grady Judd, that's the man with all the plans. All the plans and all the quotes. Like you could just, all the plans, all the quotes. Watch TikTok put his name in. It's amazing. You don't wanna be in Polk County Times? No, because Sheriff Grady Judd is gonna get you, but his quote was.

This guy may be like the dumbest person on the face of the earth. I mean, I'm just guessing. Yeah, maybe. [00:26:00] Um, he, yeah, he says so many crazy things. So anytime I see anything with Grady Jud, I'm like, stop, I'm, I'm gonna need to read this, but we have to watch this. Yes. He has no, he does not care to make you feel better.

He's like, whatever you're. You're going to jail? Yes. Okay. Mandy found this, uh, this today and it's so funny because I was like, oh, we probably need a couple more stories. Let's look and see if we can find any. And I found this one too. I didn't put it in here. Saw Mandy put it in here and then realized, did I had one of those moments?

Did I, did I put it in here? No, but it's that good of a story unless you're the person that did this robbing, in which case, ow. Oh no. I think unless you're the person who has to wait. Oh, true. At the end. True, true. There are some. There's a lot of losers in this. So there's a man from Texas, he's facing charges after the Orlando Police.

So said he stole $800,000 worth of luxury jewelry at the mall of millennia before [00:27:00] swallowing it during his arrest days after the crime. So Mul Millennia here is like super nice. It's like, it is like a luxury mall. They have all the like. Designer stores, like they have like a coach store and a Prada store and a Gucci store.

Like the ones that we don't have in our little mall that's over in our local area. We don't have fancy things like that. No. But they have anything like Chanel, any of those like super luxury designer brands. They have storefronts at the mall at Millennia, right? You could steal like, I don't know, a Cinnabon at our mall, and that's about it, right?

There's not a lot. That's the most valuable item there to me. It really is. So according to an arrest affidavit, the suspect told store associates that he was a representative for an Orlando magic player, and then he was escorted by the staff into the VIP room. That was actually smart because Makes I Makes sense.

Keep falling for that very easily. Right? Easily. Easily. And if the person like looks apart and comes in and tells you that that's who they are, you're like, okay. And the last thing you wanna do is offend somebody in this high-end store. Right? So you're not gonna say, I need to make a call. [00:28:00] You'd just be like, I.

Clearly this person knows what they're doing. What are they gonna do? Steal it from me, right? Yes. As it turns out. As it turns out. So he grabbed two pairs of earrings valued at $160,000 and $609,000 respectively, and a ring worth $587,000. Melissa, imagine wearing a house on your finger. Imagine wearing multiple houses on your I can't, I I would just, unless they could like do the dishes for me.

I don't wanna wear something like that. No, I wouldn't even wanna, I wouldn't even want it in my possession. I wouldn't even want it in my jewelry box. Like, I don't want, I don't wanna app my house. No. I don't want anything that expensive around me. Like I cannot be trusted. Well after the hamster story, if you're willing to steal things like that.

Imagine I pray to God I never get a ring this expensive and you come over. I'm gonna make you check your pockets when you come to my house. So after there's a scuffle with an employee who, I mean, I [00:29:00] guess you'd have to, with things are valued this much, um, the suspect fled the scene with the earrings. Two days later, FHP, the Florida Highway Patrol learned that the possible suspect, uh, his vehicle was found in Washington County.

So they pull him over on I 10, interstate 10 following a traffic violation. Always a traffic violation. Always, always peace. Why are people who break the law like so reckless with driving and I know just careless, like, why don't you just play it? Cool, lay it out. Follow the speed limit. Use your blinker.

Like what? What are you doing? I know like you already got away. Like what are you doing here? So they identified the driver as Jason Gilder of Houston. And during the arrest police said that this 3-year-old guy. Swallows several items and they are belief to have been the stolen Tiffany earrings. They were later showing up on a body scan that was taken at the jail and they say the jewelry is to be collected by the Washington County Sheriff's Office.

After it passed through Gilder's system. [00:30:00] Fun. Fun. Yeah. I can't figure out what's worse. I guess I feel like both passing and receiving would be the worst. Passing that through your body. I dunno. Because I mean, I guess it depends on like where they end up. Like if, I mean, 'cause earrings are small so like I guess it just, I dunno if I am stealing a $587,000 ring, I the ring I don't know about that would be awful.

Kids. Yeah. Just how do you swallow? Oh my gosh, I, and then imagine so much of it, I don't know. Imagine if you go to jail, imagine how upset your stomach is. Well, mine would be. And so it would just be like, you couldn't wait it, it's just gonna happen, and then somebody has to go it. I wouldn't be surprised if they're literally like standing over this guy because how they don't want him to like get to these jewelry items first.

Do it again.

I hate this story. It upset me so much. Like I thought you had to do surgery on something like that, but I guess they said. No, sir. You're costing us enough money. Yeah. [00:31:00] Let us know when it's out. Well, I mean, I'm like, well, like you said, I'm sure if it was like a toddler who swallowed a ring, they would surgically remove it.

Mm-hmm. To make sure that it, yeah. It wasn't going to do any damage while it was passing. But with this guy, it seems like they're just like, well, good luck. We'll just wait for you to, uh, go to the bathroom. You'll have to go someday. Yeah. Oh my gosh. Terrible. Ugh. Don't do this people, but he also had a bunch of warrants, so he's.

He's been busy. Um, he had like 48 other ones and he's going to Colorado. 48. 48. But I love that they're sending him 40, not just 48 times he's been arrested and charged 48 Warrens out for this guy's arrest. Yeah, he's gotta be a scammer. I would actually like to look more into him 'cause he's, he's got a history.

We, we might have a full episode. Thank you. We could do on this guy. Well now we kind of have an idea what. The mailbag is right. Yes. Variety of things. That was so fun. It really was. Hope you guys enjoyed it. Please send in any stories you have to Moms and mysteries@gmail.com. Please put mail, bag bag, mail bag in this subject.

And uh, hopefully [00:32:00] we'll do another one of these soon and we would love to include yours. Yeah, and thank you everyone who shared stories. They were awesome. Well, we will be back again very soon. Tuesday, even Tuesday. Alright guys, we'll see you then. Bye bye.