Lego thefts: Bensalem police investigate after suspects target Neshaminy Mall, Barnes & Noble and Target

BENSALEM TWP., Pennsylvania (WPVI) – Police in Bensalem Township are on the hunt for thieves who are after a very popular toy: Lego.

According to police, there have been several cases of Lego thefts in the community in recent months.

“These are not the Lego sets that your kids used to have that only had 10 or 15 pieces,” said Bensalem Police Sergeant Glenn Vandegrif. “These are 4,500-piece Lego sets that are valued at $300 to $400.”

Sgt. Vandegrift said the most recent Lego theft occurred on May 23, when a man entered the Barnes & Noble at Neshaminy Mall.

“He took a Lego set valued at about $250, put it in his backpack and left the store without paying,” Vandegrift said.

Police said the same thing to Barnes & Noble suffered a blow on February 10 when a man stole $1,000 worth of Legos.

On February 29, a man stole $300 worth of Legos from the Target on Rockhill Drive, police said.

According to police, a man stole over $1,000 worth of Lego bricks from the same Target on March 21 and April 3.

On April 5th at Barnes & Noble in the Neshaminy Mall, another man stole $100 worth of Legos.

“The problem is that they are worth so much money. If people manage to steal them from stores without paying anything for them, they can resell them online for a huge profit,” said Sergeant Vandegrift.

Action News spoke to shoppers who said they were not surprised to hear about these Lego thefts.

“You could get a small Lego set. You’d spend $60 on it. So if you just buy a bunch of them, if someone steals them, you can sell them on the market for a lot of money,” said Michell Basalik of Feasterville.

Sergeant Vandegrift described the Lego thefts as a crime of opportunity. He said police are actively seeking out those responsible and bringing them to justice.

Authorities across the country have recently reported Lego thefts.

In Los Angeles, police have been investigating a Lego theft ring for seven months.

According to police, over 2,800 boxes of Lego bricks were seized in a house, leading to the arrest of two people.

The California Highway Patrol said four people were arrested after recovering more than $200,000 worth of stolen Lego items.