Two suspects arrested over theft of more than 2,800 LEGO sets
More than 2,800 stolen LEGO sets have been recovered following a police raid in Los Angeles, with two suspects arrested in connection with the theft.
The Los Angeles police department has released details of a raid that took place yesterday, in which over 2,800 stolen LEGO sets were recovered and confiscated. The LAPD’s harbor division arrived at the home of Richard Siegel, 71, and his alleged partner in crime, Blanca Gudino, 39, to discover models ranging in value from $20 to “well over $1,000.”
According to an official press release, the two suspects were paid a visit by the LAPD after officers became aware of a series of LEGO-related burglaries in the San Pedro area in December of 2023. In addition, the LAPD witnessed Gudino stealing sets from nearby stores and then delivering the models to Siegel’s house.
“Detectives from LAPD’s commercial crimes division, organized retail theft unit, as well as members of the retailer’s loss prevention personnel, assisted with the recovery of the LEGO toys,” the LAPD said. “During the officers’ investigation at Siegel’s residence, potential buyers of the toys arrived, lured by advertisements placed by Siegel on internet sale sites.”
Images from the raid released by the LAPD show multiple high-priced LEGO sets included in the haul, such as 75192 Millennium Falcon, 10333 The Lord of the Rings: Barad-dûr, 75331 The Razor Crest and many others.
The raid is just the latest in a series of LEGO thefts, with four people arrested back in April 2024 for stealing $300,000 worth of sets and previous incidents having taken place in Germany, the UK, Australia and the US.
Featured image: LAPD
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- From video game journalism to kids’ publishing, I’ve been there, seen it, done it and worn the T-shirt. I was also the editor of the first-ever official LEGO magazine way back when, LEGO Adventures. I have a passion for movies, comic books, tech and video games, with a wallet that’s struggling to keep up with my LEGO set wish list.
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