Police seize 2,800 boxes of stolen Lego bricks from a Long Beach home, LAPD says • Long Beach Post News

Two people suspected of being involved in a series of organized shoplifting of Lego toys at several Southland stores have been taken into custody after an investigation lasting about six months, police said Thursday.

Richard Siegel, 71, of Long Beach, was arrested Wednesday evening on suspicion of organized shoplifting, while Blanca Gudino, 39, of Lawndale, was arrested Thursday morning on suspicion of grand larceny.

Siegel was released on bail, while Gudino was held on $20,000 bail, according to prison records.

According to the Los Angeles Police Department, investigators are looking into a series of thefts that began in December when Lego products were stolen from a store in the 1700 block of North Gaffey Street in San Pedro. During that robbery, the store’s anti-theft personnel identified Gudino as the suspect.

Police said they observed Gudino on Tuesday allegedly stealing items from the same retail store’s branches in Torrance and Lakewood. Gudino then allegedly took the Lego products to Siegel’s Long Beach home.

Detectives searched Siegel’s home on Wednesday and seized more than 2,800 boxes of Lego products, police said. The products ranged in price from $20 to more than $1,000, authorities said.

Police noted that while officers were still investigating the case at Siegel’s home, “potential buyers of the toys began arriving, lured by advertisements placed by Siegel on Internet sales sites.”

The LAPD could not provide the name of the retailer the pair targeted.

The Los Angeles Times reported this week that over $100,000 worth of Lego products have been stolen from a half-dozen Bricks & Minifigs stores in Southern California in recent months. Bricks & Minifigs is a Lego reseller with over 100 stores across the country, the Times reported.

According to the Times, a branch in Riverside was broken into on April 3, another in Ontario on April 12, Whittier on May 3, Irvine on May 9 and branches in Costa Mesa and Fullerton on June 1.

There was no immediate evidence of a connection between these thefts and Siegel or Gudino.

The owner of the Whittier store told the Times that two men were involved in the break-ins – one who broke into the stores and the other who acted as a getaway driver.

The Times reported that similar series of break-ins targeting Legos had occurred in cities such as Philadelphia, Las Vegas and Green Bay, Wisconsin.

Anyone with information regarding the organized shoplifting of Legos in the greater Los Angeles area is asked to contact LAPD Harbor Area Detectives at 310-726-7900. After-hours or weekend calls 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.