Tampa Bay Rays star Wander Franco's Rolls-Royce is broken into at Jacksonville hotel, $659,000 in jewelry nabbed

Dan Scanlan, Florida Times-Union
·2 min read
Tampa Bay Rays young star Wander Franco hits an RBI single during a game against the Toronto Blue Jays on July 2.
Tampa Bay Rays young star Wander Franco hits an RBI single during a game against the Toronto Blue Jays on July 2.
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Security camera video shows a man wearing a dark hoodie with a Nike emblem holding a large silver wrench, a mask covering his face. A Rolls-Royce's lights begin flashing as the masked man is seen running away carrying a safe in his hands, according to a Jacksonville arrest report.

The loot: $659,000 worth of gold and diamond jewelry. The victim: Tampa Bay Rays shortstop Wander Franco, according to ESPN.

The young sensation, whose name was redacted from the police report, was playing with the Triple-A Durham Bulls as part of an injury rehabilitation assignment when they were in town June 21 against the Jacksonville Jumbo Shrimp.

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Police arrested a 24-year-old Orange Park man on July 4 who has 10 criminal cases open in Jacksonville, including five burglaries, court records show.

The Rolls-Royce was in the parking garage at the DoubleTree Hotel at 1201 Riverplace Blvd. when it was broken into about 3 a.m. June 22, according to the arrest report.

Among items stolen: Two championship rings, Rolex watch

The safe contained seven pieces of jewelry, including an American League championship ring, a championship ring from the Durham Bulls and a Rolex watch, the report said. Two of the stolen items were recovered a day later at an Orange Park pawn shop that led to the suspect.

Other items listed included a gold and diamond medallion on a chain valued at $300,000, another medallion valued at $70,000 and a gold chain with the likeness of cartoon characters Tom and Jerry on it, the report said.

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Based on evidence found in a dumpster and a recorded phone conversation the suspect had while in jail, a search was made on July 5 of an apartment on Habersham Circle on Jacksonville's Southside, and the two championship rings were found, the report said. A search of his car also found a black hoodie with Nike emblem, multiple gloves and a large silver wrench.

Tampa Bay Rays shortstop Wander Franco fields a ball before a recent game against the New York Yankees at Tropicana Field.
Tampa Bay Rays shortstop Wander Franco fields a ball before a recent game against the New York Yankees at Tropicana Field.

The police investigation links the car and suspect to several other auto burglaries in San Marco and the Southbank since early 2022, the report said. The Sheriff's Office has frequently posted alerts about car break-ins on its website.

Franco made his major league debut last year with the Rays and starred in the postseason. He is known for his high-end jewelry and bought a Mercedes-Benz in 2021 with a diamond-accented steering wheel, according to TMZ.com.

dscanlan@jacksonville.com, (904) 359-4549

This article originally appeared on Florida Times-Union: Wander Franco's championship rings recovered after Jacksonville theft