2 IE Teenagers Arrested In Connection With $30K Labubu Heist, Police Say

CHINO, CA — Two minors who worked at a warehouse in San Bernardino County are accused of the Southland’s largest Labubu heist to date, allegedly stealing more than $30,000 worth of the popular dolls, authorities told Patch on Wednesday.

"Kids these days," Sgt. Shauna Hill of the Chino Police Department said.

On Aug. 4, officers responded to USE Logistics in Chino after the business reported a burglary in which the owners said $40,000 worth of goods was stolen, according to the department.

Detectives determined that two suspects, who were later found to be employees, had staged multiple boxes containing Labubu figurines on July 31. Between Aug. 1 and 3, the pair returned to the closed business at different times to retrieve the staged boxes of the little monsters, police said.

Security footage recovered from the business and reviewed by police showed the suspects and the vehicles they used in the thefts.

On Aug. 8, police served a search warrant to a home in Upland, where approximately $30,000 worth of Labubus were found. The juvenile suspect attempted to flee the house but was apprehended by police, the department said.

The second teen was apprehended in Ontario on Aug. 12. Both teenagers were booked into the San Bernardino County Juvenile Hall on suspicion of burglary and conspiracy to commit burglary.

The stolen figurines were returned to the warehouse.

During the same week these burglaries were reported, another Labubu heist was underway in Los Angeles County.

READ MORE: $7K Worth Of Labubu Dolls Stolen From CA Store, Police Say

On Aug. 6, the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department said that masked robbers broke into a store in La Puente and stole about $7,000 worth of the wildly popular dolls.

The suspects used a stolen Toyota Tacoma to steal some $7,000 worth of Labubus, the department said. The truck was recovered shortly after the incident.

"Today we got robbed, and they took all of our inventory, trashed our store, we are still in shock, if you guys can share this post please and help us find these [thieves]," the store owners wrote in a post.

Sgt. Hill confirmed that the two incidents were not related.

What the heck is Labubu?

Here’s a quick primer on what these figurines are and why they’ve captured the hearts (and wallets) of so many young collectors.

Labubu was created by Hong Kong-born, Netherlands-raised artist Kasing Lung, who introduced the rabbit-eared character in his 2015 story series "The Monsters", inspired heavily by Nordic mythology.

Although Labubu has been around for a decade, the craze only recently took hold in the United States. Today, the toothy figurine is a global pop culture icon, with hundreds of versions sold worldwide — ranging in price from about $20 to well over $1,000.

Labubu's fast ascension came in part because of the recent blind box craze, which turns collecting into a game of chance and fuels demand for rare, high-value figures.

Like its predecessor, Monchhichi, Labubu has tapped into the blind box and collectible toy trend that arguably first took hold in the U.S. in 2023.

READ MORE: Stolen Labubu Dolls Worth $30K Recovered From Inland Empire Home