California Man Charged in $34K Target Theft for Trading Legos for Pasta
Serial Lego Thief Arrested in Orange County
ORANGE COUNTY, Calif. – Authorities have apprehended 28-year-old Jarrelle Augustine, who is accused of orchestrating a nationwide retail theft scheme that involved the theft of $34,000 in Lego sets from Target stores across the country.
The investigation into Augustine’s activities began after Target reported at least 70 thefts linked to a single individual. According to police, Augustine allegedly purchased high-end Lego sets, carefully removed valuable minifigures and components, and replaced them with dried pasta to mimic the original box weight before returning them to the stores.
Detectives from the Irvine Police Department utilized surveillance footage to identify Augustine, who has since been booked at the Orange County Jail on charges of grand theft.
Police officials approached the case with a mix of levity and seriousness. "If your master plan involves swapping LEGOs for linguine, we can promise your plan will be cooked al dente," a spokesperson for the department remarked. They described the scheme as a “bad build” that “didn’t hold together” and commended their detectives for expeditiously resolving the matter.
Augustine remains in custody as legal proceedings advance. In light of the incident, Target is expected to continue auditing its inventory to assess if any additional "pasta-filled" boxes have been returned. Prosecutors will also review the 70 linked theft cases to determine whether further charges are warranted across various jurisdictions.
