SeaTac Jewelry Heist: Mystery Thieves Connected to Other Area Robberies

SEATAC, WA - They were each carrying two phones and were wearing wireless headsets. Authorities believe they are using aliases, and they don't have IDs. They had no money, but were able to afford to travel. And, they may be behind other similar robberies in Western Washington.

The three men arrested earlier this week in connection to the robbery of a jewelry courier in SeaTac are, in short, mystery men. New details about the men have come through court documents, which allege that the robbers have stolen over $1 million in jewels from couriers in Bellevue and Redmond.

In one robbery last year, according to a report from KOMO, the robbers boxed in a jewelry courier driving up an off-ramp along I-5, then smashed his windows and stole $400,000 in jewels.

According to King County Sheriff's Office Sgt. Cindi West, the three men robbed the courier in SeaTac around 6 p.m. on Monday. The robbers assaulted the courier and made off with $500,000 worth of jewelry. They slashed a tire on the courier's car and then fled the scene - but they were later caught by Washington State Patrol at a gas station in Chehalis.

The men were identified as Jorge Tapias-Jarmillo, 41, Gustav Orrieta, 25, and Pablo Sanchez, 32, according to KOMO. They are reportedly being held on $10 million bail on charges of first-degree robbery. King County prosecutors believe the robbers could be connected to an organized ring responsible for robberies in cities around the U.S., including Los Angeles and New York.

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