Suspect replaced valuable Lego pieces with dried pasta, Irvine police say

IRVINE, Calif. (KABC) -- Irvine police arrested a man accused of purchasing Lego sets from Target, removing some of the valuable pieces and replacing them with dried pasta.

"You read that correctly, we are talking about durum wheat semolina pasta, and what we are calling a pasta-tively terrible plan," the Irvine Police Department said in a post on Instagram.

Target reported at least 70 thefts across the country allegedly tied to 28-year-old Jarrelle Augustine, of Paramount, police said. The thefts totaled about $34,000 in losses.

Augustine was arrested for grand theft and booked at Orange County Jail. ---More...

Police say a 28-year-old California man allegedly bought expensive LEGO sets, kept the pieces, and returned the boxes filled with dry pasta, a scheme they say he repeated around 70 times nationwide before being caught. pic.twitter.com/y10aTcvnSo

— Breaking911 (@Breaking911)April 19, 2026