Lego Heist Suspects Busted With Thousands Of Sets: LAPD

LOS ANGELES, CA — Two Los Angeles County men suspected in a string of Lego thefts had amassed more than 20,000 Lego sets valued at more than $100,000 when they were arrested following a six-month investigation, Los Angeles police said Thursday.

Richard Siegel, 71, of Long Beach, and Blanca Gudino, 39, of Lawndale were arrested Wednesday and Thursday on suspicion of organized retail in connection with the thefts across the Southland, according to the Los Angeles Police Department.

"In December 2023, detectives became aware of a series of theft cases from a retailer located in the 1700 block of North Gaffey Street in San Pedro, where loss prevention personnel identified Gudino as the suspect," The LAPD announced in a written statement. "On June 4, 2024, members of the Los Angeles Police Department observed Gudino steal items from the same retailer in Torrance and Lakewood, before providing Siegel with the LEGO toys at his residence in Long Beach. "

When detectives raided Siegel's home on Wednesday, they found more than 2,800 boxes of Lego sets, ranging from $20 to more than $1,000 in value, according to police. As police inventoried the evidence at Siegel's home, potential buyers responding to advertisements placed by Siegel on the Internet showed up.

Siegel was released on his own recognizance, but Gudino was being held in lieu of $20,000 bail, according to jail records.

The LAPD did not identify the retailer that was targeted by the pair.

The Los Angeles Times reported this week that more than $100,000 in Lego products had been stolen from a half-dozen Bricks & Minifigs stores across Southern California in recent months. Bricks & Minifigs is a Lego reseller with more than 100 locations nationally, The Times reported.

According to The Times, a location in Riverside was burglarized April 3, along with another in Ontario on April 12, Whittier on May 3, Irvine on May 9 and the Costa Mesa and Fullerton locations on June 1. There was no immediate indication of a connection between those thefts and Siegel or Gudino.

The owner of the Whittier store told The Times the culprits who committed the burglaries were two men — one who broke into the stores and the other who acted as a getaway driver.

The Times reported that similar burglary series targeting Legos have also occurred in cities including Philadelphia, Las Vegas and Green Bay, Wisconsin.

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.

City News Service contributed to this report.