American tourist killed in botched robbery in Colombia

An American tourist has been shot to death in Colombia during an apparent robbery attempt after leaving his hotel in a wealthy enclave of Medellin.

Police say a 65-year-old New Yorker identified as John Mariani was assaulted Friday night when the taxi he was traveling was intercepted by gunmen in a chase vehicle and motorcycle.

Police are offering a $16,000 reward for information leading to the arrest of the perpetrators.

A far cry from the 1980s when it was the headquarters of Pablo Escobar's feared Medellin Cartel, Colombia's second-biggest city has seen a tourism boom on the backs of a sharp reduction in crime. The New York Times featured it at No. 11 on its list of 52 places to go in 2015.

The U.S. Embassy had no immediate comment.