Police in Brazil's southern Rio Grande do Sul state are searching for a criminal gang that's holding nine people hostage after an assault on a jewelry workshop, AP reported. Governor Tarso Genro has told Radio Gaucha that guaranteeing the hostages' safety is the top priority for police. Brazilian news reports say the standoff started early Sunday, when about 10 gang members used explosives to blow off the door of a jewelry factory in the town of Cotipora. Police responded, killing three gang members, said the Folha de S. Paulo newspaper. Those remaining fled the factory, taking neighbors living near the factory as hostages. The group is thought to be holed up in a nearby woods. It was not immediately clear if the criminals took anything from the workshop.
