According to authorities, the victim, in his 60s, was leaving home when a pickup truck and another vehicle drove up toward him and boxed him in.
One of the carjackers used a rifle to break his window then ordered him out of the car. The carjackers then drove the van away.
"By the time he turned around, there was somebody breaking the window on his side with a rifle. They were asking him to step out of the car so they could take off," said Estella Maldonado, the victim's daughter.
Ramon Maldonado says he was robbed in a similar way 15 years ago, and he believes it may be the same group of thieves.
The van was later found, but the jewelry was gone.
Investigators say that there were 1,300 pieces of jewelry in the van and that the man was targeted by the carjackers.
The suspects were described as Latinos, 25 to 30 years old, and one was about 5 feet 7 inches and 160 pounds, wearing a black beanie and black clothes.
CNS contributed to this report.