Police: Robbers Trailed Victims Hundreds Of Miles After Chicago Jewelry Trade Show
(CBS) -- A group of robbers stole half a million dollars in precious metals and diamonds and police believe the victims were trailed for hundreds of miles after a jewelry trade show in Chicago, reports CBS 2's Roseanne Tellez.
Police say the theft occurred in a rest area between Rochester and Eyota, Minnesota, 335 miles and a roughly six hour drive from Chicago.
A group of seven jewelers drove into a rest area shortly after midnight early Monday morning. Five went in, but two stayed in the car. That's when another car pulled up carrying four men dressed in dark clothing and bent on trouble. They smashed the windows and grabbed the jewelry cases.
"Those suitcases contained gold and silver jewelry items y along with loose diamonds," said Captain Scott Behrans of the Olmstead County Sheriff's office. "During the process of the robbery, the victim, operating the victim's vehicle, put it in reverse to try and stop the robbery and to get out of there and she struck the suspect vehicle on at least a couple of occasions."
Police say the suspects then fled west on I-90 and dumped their vehicle in a nearby ditch.