Man, 71, arrested after LAPD finds nearly 3,000 boxes of stolen LEGO sets at his home

Authored by cbsnews.com and submitted by zinky30
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Police in Los Angeles seized more than 2,800 boxes of stolen LEGO sets from a 71-year-old man's home Wednesday, authorities said.

Officers arrested 71-year-old Richard Siegel and his alleged accomplice, 39-year-old Blanca Gudino, after raiding the elderly man's Long Beach home, according to the Los Angeles Police Department.

The individual boxes have a retail value ranging from $20 to well over $1,000, police said.

Detectives started investigating the case after a retailer in San Pedro identified Gudino as the suspect who had allegedly robbed them several times last December.

Detectives seized thousands of stolen LEGO sets from an elderly man's home. LAPD

Several months later, on June 4, officers witnessed Gudino stealing items from retailers in Torrance and Lakewood before dropping them off at Siegel's home. Detectives believe Siegel would sell the stolen goods online since several potential buyers showed up at his home while officers raided it.

Investigators booked Siegel for organized retail theft, while Gudino was booked with grand theft.

Some of the stolen LEGO sets officers seized. LAPD

The department urged anyone with information on the case to call detectives at (310) 726-7900. Those wishing to stay anonymous should call Crime Stoppers at 1(800) 222-8477 or text them at 274637.

All text messages should begin with the "LAPD."

myhydrogendioxide on June 7th, 2024 at 13:09 UTC »

... what was he going to build. Why did they interrupt his grand plan?

Frosty_Tailor4390 on June 7th, 2024 at 13:06 UTC »

If they report the "street value” using the same formula they use for drugs, it should be a 7.2 Million dollar bust.

Sethor on June 7th, 2024 at 13:01 UTC »

He could have laid out the most amazing trap ever if he had just dumped them all on the floor.