A California man has been arrested for allegedly stealing thousands of dollars worth of Lego sets from Target in a return-based scam, sometimes replacing valuable figurines with dried pasta. Irvine police announced the arrest of 28-year-old Jarrelle Augustine on 14 April, accusing him of grand theft.
Police said in a Facebook post that Target reported at least 70 thefts linked to Augustine, totalling about $34,000 in losses. Augustine allegedly bought Lego sets, removed the figurines, and then returned the boxes, sometimes filling them with pasta noodles.
The investigation began in December 2025 when Target's loss prevention department noticed an open Lego box missing figurines. Authorities then identified Augustine through surveillance and linked him to dozens of fraudulent returns.
Police quipped that the plan was 'pasta-tively terrible' and noted the existence of a secondary market for the stolen pieces. It is unclear if Augustine has legal representation. Similar Lego thefts have been reported across California, with hundreds of thousands of dollars in merchandise stolen in recent months.
