Diamond Dealer Robbed on Freeway Interchange

LOS ANGELES POLICE DEPARTMENT
PRESS RELEASE
Wednesday, November 17, 1999
On Monday, November 15, 1999, at 5:50 P.M., a diamond dealer enroute to LAX was robbed of the gems he carried by at least three male Hispanics suspects. The victim was a passenger in a taxi and had been picked up in the Los Angeles jewelry district. The suspects forced the taxi to stop in the diamond lane of the 110 Freeway transition to the westbound 105 Freeway. Suspects were armed with handguns and demanded the keys to the trunk of the taxi. Suspects took a suitcase with unmounted diamonds, reportedly valued at approximately $125,000.00. The suspects used a red Honda 4-door. There were no license plated on the vehicle.

Detectives from the Los Angeles Police Burglary Auto-theft Division have assumed investigation of this robbery as well as a recent series of jewelry robberies.

At least five similar robberies have taken place near the same freeway interchange since January 1999.

During 1999, ninety similar robberies have been reported throughout California, with total reported losses exceeding $21,000,000.

For Release 10:35 am PST
November 17, 1999