ASPEN, Colo. — Authorities say three men stole about $800,000 worth of diamond-encased jewelry from a display case in the lobby of The Little Nell hotel in Aspen.
Police say the theft happened just after 1 p.m. on December 21, at the luxury hotel located at 675 East Durant Avenue.
The Aspen Daily News reports police say one of the men involved in Friday's theft used a screwdriver to pop open the locked case and deposited a necklace and at least one ring and a set of earrings into a backpack.
The suspects left the scene driving a black Ford SUV with California license 8CPU928, which is listed as a rental vehicle, according to a release from Aspen police.
Video of the theft showed the three men with facial hair, but police said more recent photos of them, taken at Denver International Airport, in the days after the crime, indicate they have shaved. One of them was carrying a distinctive bright yellow Diesel brand "Only The Brave" backpack.
The third suspect was wearing a cross pendant. He was wearing a baseball hat in the security video but is not wearing that hat in photos released by police.
The items belonged to Piranesi, a New York City-based business that has an outlet in Aspen. Police declined to say exactly what was taken, but said it was "numerous pieces of high-end jewelry.”
A Piranesi employee told the Aspen Daily News that the store has had the display case in the hotel's lobby, employed for marketing purposes, for more than 20 years.
Anyone with information should call Aspen Police at 970-920-5400
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