A 24-year-old man is in custody in Florida, charged with stealing more than $650,000 worth of jewelry from an SUV belonging to Tampa Bay Rays shortstop Wander Franco.
ESPN reported Friday that the theft occurred on June 22 in Jacksonville when Franco was on a rehab assignment.
Police said Kahlil Eugene Mathis used a wrench to break into Franco’s Rolls-Royce Cullinan at 3 a.m. that day while it was parked in a hotel lot. Per ESPN, taken from Franco’s SUV was a safe that contained seven pieces of jewelry and a second safe that had $60 in it.
The jewelry included an American League championship ring, a ring from the Triple-A Durham Bulls and a $300,000 gold Cuban link chain encrusted with diamonds with an attached circle medallion with diamonds, ESPN reported.
Two of the items were sold at a pawn shop, while some of the others have been recovered, per the report. Two Cuban link chains and a Rolex watch — with a combined value of nearly $550,000, ESPN said — remain missing.
Franco was in Jacksonville that night to play with the Durham team as he recovered from a quadriceps injury. The 21-year-old returned to the Rays on June 26 and on July 8, he fractured his right hamate bone in a game against the Cincinnati Reds and is expected to be sidelined into September.
In 58 games this season, Franco is batting .260 with 34 runs, five home runs and 23 RBIs.
–Field Level Media
