Gem Dealer Faints, Loses Diamonds

A New York City diamond dealer waiting for a flight home at Los Angeles International Airport collapsed in an airport bathroom and awoke to find that his briefcase, filled with $1.2 million in diamonds, had disappeared, police said Wednesday.

Philip Pilikyan, 38, drank some cocktails in an airport bar Tuesday night and became ill, said Lt. Phil Roberts of the Los Angeles Police Department’s Pacific Division.

“He had four drinks within a fairly short period of time,” said Roberts, who added that Pilikyan went to a bathroom to splash water on his face but got dizzy, had trouble breathing and collapsed.

Bystanders found the gem dealer about 8 p.m. and called paramedics, who took Pilikyan to Daniel Freeman Marina Hospital, Roberts said. He was released two hours later, according to a hospital spokeswoman.

Shortly after midnight, Pilikyan phoned airport police to tell them that his briefcase containing 2,500 carats in unmounted, loose diamonds was missing, said officials. The million-dollar collection of gems was only insured for $100,000, Roberts said.

“We don’t know what happened to the diamonds,” he said, noting there was no indication the diamond dealer had been followed. “According to him nobody knew what he had. He was sitting by himself.”