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‘Lego bandit’ accused in bizarre $34K scheme replacing minifigures with pasta
By Michael Dorgan
Published April 18, 2026
A California man allegedly cooked up a bizarre Lego theft scheme — but police said it came apart piece by piece.
Jarrelle Augustine, 28, of Paramount, is accused of buying LEGO sets from Target, removing valuable minifigures and pieces, then returning the boxes after filling them with dried pasta, Irvine police said.
Investigators linked him to roughly 70 thefts nationwide totaling about $34,000 in losses.
The Irving Police Department said detectives used surveillance to identify Augustine as the suspect. He was taken into custody and booked into the Orange County Jail on grand theft charges.
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Surveillance and body camera images released by Irvine police show Jarrelle Augustine allegedly taking Lego sets from a Target store and later being placed under arrest. (Surveillance and body camera images released by Irvine police show Jarrelle Augustine allegedly taking Lego sets from a Target store and later being placed under arrest.)
Police shared details of the case in a social media post — and added a humorous warning about the unusual method.
"If your master plan involves swapping LEGOs for linguine, we can promise your plan will be cooked al dente," Irvine police said in a Facebook post.
Video released by police appears to show the suspect taking LEGO sets from a store shelf and walking out.
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Lego minifigures are shown organized in compartments after investigators said they were removed from retail sets in a theft scheme. (Irvine Police Department)
The footage then shows officers placing him under arrest in body camera video.
The unusual case also drew reactions online, with some social media users leaning into the humor.
"This case had so many pastabilities. Good for IPD, using their noodle!" one commenter wrote.
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Authorities said the suspect filled Lego boxes with dried pasta to mimic the original weight before returning them as part of a theft scheme. (Irvine Police Department)
"You mean to tell me he was an... impasta?! I’ll see myself out," another joked.
Others questioned the method, with one user writing, "Stealing Legos and Goya beans? WTF?"
https://www.foxnews.com/us/lego-bandit-accused-bizarre-34k-scheme-replacing-minifigures-pasta