'Stuff you see in the movies': Organized jewel thieves rob woman of $1.3 million at Tampa hotel

TAMPA, Fla. - Tampa Police are hunting for a crew of jewel thieves who stole $1.3 million of "fine jewels" from a woman as she unpacked at the Hilton Hotel on Lois Ave.

"We are talking about a professional job," said legal analyst Anthony Rickman, who reviewed a search warrant filed by Tampa Police on April 2.

The warrant shows on the night of March 2, a woman had just Ubered to the Hilton and was rushed by four suspects in black wearing masks.

They yelled "get down" and made off with her luggage.

"It could be a circumstance where they knew this person was going to have this jewelry, because a personal relationship, it could be a circumstance where they know this victim owned their business and was going to be bringing items home," said Rickman. "Or it could be a circumstance where, look, we live in a world now, where everything is broadcast on social media."

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Police say the suspects got away in a Honda Pilot, then a half-mile away transferred into a Mazda CX-9.

Then, a mile after that, they moved into a blue Dodge Caravan.

Police then found a silver Mazda CX-9 with Illinois plates abandoned on East Newsome Rd. in Plant City. TPD didn't say what kind of vehicle they wound up in, but they tracked an airtag in the victim's luggage to the Orlando/Kissimmee area.

TPD wrote the vehicle registration was bogus.

Their search warrant says the silver Mazda is at a tow yard in Plant City.

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"Whenever you have a big heist like this, usually people scatter and the jewels end up in different areas," said legal analyst Imran Ansari.

It's unclear as to how they knew the jewelry would be in a particular place at a particular time, but there's almost no doubt the suspects had ties to the victim, who is out $1.3 million in jewels.

"Is this a circumstance where organized crime is involved? Is this a bigger plot? Is this a bigger ring? I think a lot of that remains to be seen, but yeah, at the end of the day, this is stuff you see in the movies that happen in our backyard," said Rickman.

TPD would only say this is an "active investigation."

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