Police: Man swallows stolen ring, needs surgery to remove it
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Authorities in Northern California say a man charged with burglary needed surgery to remove a stolen ring that he had swallowed while fleeing police.
The San Jose Mercury News newspaper reports (http://bayareane.ws/1qu8eSL ) the chase ended when the man, identified as 36-year-old Joel Steffensen of Martinez crashed his car into a fence at a rapid transit station last Thursday.
Walnut Creek police spokesman Lt. Lanny Edwards says a hospital X-ray showed a ring lodged in his esophagus. The resident of the home that was burglarized later identified the gold wedding band.
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Prosecutors charged Steffensen with burglary, evasion of police officers and resisting arrest. It was not immediately known if Steffensen has an attorney.
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Information from: San Jose (Calif.) Mercury News, http://www.mercurynews.com