Tijuana Couple Arrested in Irvine for Lego Minifigure Return Scheme at Multiple Stores

IRVINE, Calif. – Two individuals from Tijuana were arrested on Tuesday in Irvine following a series of alleged shoplifting incidents targeting Lego sets. The suspects, identified as 29-year-old Adriana Esquerra Gonzalez and 30-year-old Luis Alfredo Quintanilla Pompa, are accused of executing a scheme to remove high-value Lego minifigures before returning the tampered products for refunds.

Irvine police were alerted to suspicious behavior at a Target store in the Spectrum area. Officers found that Gonzalez and Pompa had purchased Lego sets, removed specific contents, and attempted to return the items as if they were unopened.

An investigation revealed that the duo had successfully carried out similar transactions at five other retailers on the same day. Police later discovered a collection of stolen Lego components in their vehicle during a search.

Both Gonzalez and Pompa were taken into custody and now face charges of shoplifting. Authorities are collaborating with regional loss prevention teams to identify any additional stores that may have been affected by the rampage.