A man allegedly stole $34,000 worth of Legos by filling the boxes with dried pasta

Jarrel Augustine, 28, of Paramount, is charged with purchase Lego sets From Target, they removed minifigures and valuable items, then returned the boxes after filling them with dried pasta, Irvine police said.

Investigators linked him to nearly 70 thefts across the country that totaled about $34,000 in losses.

The Irving Police Department said investigators used surveillance to identify Augustine as the suspect. He was taken into custody and booked into the Orange County Jail on grand larceny charges.

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Surveillance and body camera photos released by Irvine Police show Jarrell Augustine took Lego sets from a Target store and was later placed under arrest. (Surveillance and body camera photos released by Irvine police show Jarrell Augustine allegedly took Lego sets from a Target store and was later placed under arrest.)

Police shared details of the case in A Social media sharing – He added a humorous warning about the unusual method.

“If your master plan involves exchanging LEGO pieces for linguines, we can promise you that your plan will be completely completed,” 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.

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Lego minifigures are on display organized in cubicles after investigators say they were removed from retail sets in a theft scheme. (Irvine Police Department)

The footage then shows officers placing him under arrest on body camera video.

the Unusual condition It also sparked reactions online, with some social media users leaning towards humor.

“This case was a lot of pain. Good for IPD, using their noodles!” one commenter wrote.

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Authorities said the suspect filled Lego boxes with dried pasta to mimic the original weight before returning them as part of the robbery scheme. (Irvine Police Department)

Another joked: “You mean to tell me it was… an impasta?! I’ll go out myself.”

Others asked about this method, with one user writing: “Stealing Legos and Goya beans? What?”