Jewish Man Robbed in North Miami

A Jewish man from Kiryas Joel walking with thousands of dollars worth of diamonds in North Miami was roughed up and robbed. He spoke exclusively to 7News about the attack.

The rabbi, who is also a jeweler, traveled to South Florida on business, but that's when he was beaten with a pistol and robbed by several people behind a pawn shop Tuesday afternoon.

Victim Rabbi Chaim Parnas said the men who ambushed him tried to rip off his vest for the jewels. "They were ripping, they were ripping this," he said. "[They said] 'Get the vest, get the vest.'"

Parnas said he had the jewels in his pocket and they reached for it. He was beaten and battered in the process. "They took it out," he said. "I went through the back, I went out of the car. Three guys jumped out. One got me with a pistol, knock in the head."

The rabbi is a diamond dealer from New York doing business in Aventura at a jewelry store. He stopped by a pawn shop in North Miami to buy diamonds.

Despite the circumstances, Parnas said that he feels lucky. "I'm alive. I'm healthy. I have my wife, my kids," he said. "Sure God was with me that they didn't shoot me."