PITTSBURGH — Authorities are searching for three men who attacked and robbed a diamond salesman Thursday night in downtown Pittsburgh.
The independent diamond dealer told police he was robbed by three men in the parking garage of the Gateway Towers, an upscale high-rise condominium downtown, about 9:30 p.m.
Investigators said at least one of the men had a knife and punctured the salesman's tires after the men stole a backpack containing diamonds that police called "significant" and "considerable."
Target 11 investigator Rick Earle confirmed that the value of the stolen diamonds is about $300,000.
The men left the area in a black minivan with chrome on either side of the sliding door toward Ninth Street, police said.
Gateway Towers security officers said they have the robbery recorded on their surveillance cameras and it is available for police to use during their investigation.
Ken Kortanek, who lives in Gateway Towers, said he was surprised to hear of the robbery.
“That means when I pull up the car with groceries I have to look around and lock the car. Is that our trend in America?” Kortanek said. “Where is the city where I can leave my door open?”
Police don't know if the salesman, who wasn’t injured aside from a small cut on his hand, was targeted or randomly robbed. The man told police that the diamonds are insured.
Investigators haven’t determined whether the robbers are connected to two other Pittsburgh-area jewel heists earlier this year.
Three armed men stole $1 million in jewels from a salesman outside a jewelry store in Wexford May 10, while a traveling salesman lost $250,000 worth of jewels in Monroeville April 12.
Anyone with information on the incident is asked to contact police.
WPXI
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