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A California man has been accused of orchestrating an unusual scheme involving the theft of Lego sets, a plan that authorities say gradually unraveled.
Jarrelle Augustine, 28, from Paramount, is facing allegations of purchasing Lego sets from Target, extracting the valuable minifigures and parts, and then returning the boxes filled with dried pasta. This information was provided by the Irvine police.
Investigators have connected Augustine to approximately 70 thefts across the nation, leading to an estimated $34,000 in damages.
The Irvine Police Department reported that detectives were able to identify Augustine as the suspect through surveillance footage. He has been apprehended and is currently held in the Orange County Jail on charges of grand theft.
Images from surveillance and body cameras, made public by the Irvine police, purportedly show Jarrelle Augustine in the act of taking Lego sets from a Target store, followed by his arrest.
Police shared details of the case in a social media post — and added a humorous warning about the unusual method.
“If your master plan involves swapping LEGOs for linguine, we can promise your plan will be cooked al dente,” Irvine police said in a Facebook post.
Video released by police appears to show the suspect taking LEGO sets from a store shelf and walking out.
Lego minifigures are shown organized in compartments after investigators said they were removed from retail sets in a theft scheme. (Irvine Police Department)
The footage then shows officers placing him under arrest in body camera video.
The unusual case also drew reactions online, with some social media users leaning into the humor.
“This case had so many pastabilities. Good for IPD, using their noodle!” one commenter wrote.
Authorities said the suspect filled Lego boxes with dried pasta to mimic the original weight before returning them as part of a theft scheme. (Irvine Police Department)
“You mean to tell me he was an… impasta?! I’ll see myself out,” another joked.
Others questioned the method, with one user writing, “Stealing Legos and Goya beans? WTF?”