Lego Group

Just to confirm, the theft ring’s focus is, indeed, Lego.It may not be the kind of hard-boiled Los Angeles crime that attracts the likes of Sam Spade or Jake Gittes, but the police say they have arrested the perpetrators in a series of thefts.Of Lego.To be clear, Lego is not a new slang term for cars, diamonds or heroin. The thefts were of literal Lego.A Target store in San Pedro, Calif., reported some of the thefts, and the police observed Blanca Gudino, 39, of Lawndale, stealing Lego sets at branches of the retailer in Torrance and Lakewood, they said. They followed her to the home of Richard Siegel, 71, in Long Beach, where she delivered the items, they said.Upon searching the home on Wednesday, the police said they found 2,800 boxes of Lego, with individual values ranging from $20 to “well over” $1,000. They included Star Wars, Harry Potter and Marvel sets, KTLA reported.The items were being sold to buyers found through online ads, the police said. While the police were on the scene, some prospective buyers showed up at the home.Ms. Gudino was charged with organized retail theft, a felony, and held on a $20,000 bail. Mr. Siegel was charged with grand theft, also a felony, and was released on his own recognizance.We are having trouble retrieving the article content.Please enable JavaScript in your browser settings.Thank you for your patience while we verify access. If you are in Reader mode please exit and log into your Times account, or subscribe for all of The Times.Thank you for your patience while we verify access.Already a subscriber? Log in.Want all of The Times? Subscribe. More