Pictured! Man Who Swallowed Stolen Ring While Fleeing Police Now Forced To Undergo Surgery To Remove It

A burglar needed surgery to remove a stolen ring he had swallowed while fleeing police. Joel Steffensen allegedly robbed a property in Walnut Creek, California, but crashed his car into a chain-link fence while he was trying to get away.

The 36-year-old went to the hospital after the crash, where an X-ray revealed that he had a ring in his esophagus. So he was forced to go under the knife.

Doctors removed it and it was later identified by the owner of the home. The ring appears to be a gold wedding band in photos released by police.


Images of Steffensen's X-rays were also released, showing the ring lodged in his esophagus.

Prosecutors charged Steffensen with burglary, evasion of police officers and resisting arrest.

Lt. Lanny Edwards said: 'We don't know what he was thinking, or when he might've swallowed it. It wasn't smart.

Steffensen remains in custody. He is being held on a $1.355 million bail.