Police appear to have pieced together a LEGO toy theft mystery.
Two people suspected in the organized retail thefts of LEGO toys from several Southern California stores were taken into custody after a six-month investigation, the LAPD said Thursday.
Richard Siegel, a 71-year-old Long Beach man, was arrested Wednesday night on suspicion of organized retail theft. Blanca Gudino, a 39-year-old Lawndale woman, was arrested Thursday morning on suspicion of grand theft, police said.
Get top local stories in Southern California delivered to you every morning. Sign up for NBC LA's News Headlines newsletter.
The arrests stemmed from a series of theft cases that began in December when LEGO products were stolen from a store in the 1700 block of North Gaffey Street in San Pedro. Loss prevention staff at the store identified Gudino as the suspect.
She also stole items from Torrance and Lakewood locations of the same business on Tuesday, police said.
The products were taken to Siegel's residence in Long Beach, police said. Detectives searched the home Wednesday and seized more than 2,800 boxes of Lego products, ranging in retail price from $20 to $1,000, according to authorities.
During the investigation at the home, potential buyers showed up, responding to online ads for the products, police said. Photos released by the LAPD showed LEGO toy boxes stacked floor to ceiling.
LAPD News: NR24167dc - LAPD Harbor Division Busts LEGO Theft Ring pic.twitter.com/8JnmV4P6gn
— LAPD PIO (@LAPDPIO) June 7, 2024
It was not immediately clear whether the suspects have attorneys.
Anyone with information regarding the Los Angeles-area organized retail thefts of Legos was urged to contact the LAPD Harbor Area detectives at 310-726-7900. Calls during non-business hours or weekends should be directed to 877-527-3247. Tipsters who prefer to remain anonymous can call Crime Stoppers at 800-222-8477 or visit lacrimestoppers.org.
At least six businesses that sell collectible Lego products were burglarized in the past two months. Shop owners told NBCLA Monday that they believe the same man may have been behind all the recent cases.
Security camera video from the Bricks and Minifigs in Whittier captured an early morning burglary from May 3. It showed a man wearing a headlamp smashing the front glass window and entering the business with a trash bag.
About 30 miles away, another Bricks and Minifigs in Ontario was targeted in a similar crime. The Ontario shop owner said a man broke in through a window April 12 and grabbed the priciest items within minutes.
