A bizarre theft case has emerged in the United States, where a California man was arrested for allegedly replacing LEGO pieces with pasta inside retail boxes and returning them for refunds. The accused, Jarrelle Augustine, 28, was caught during his latest attempt at a Target store and later booked at the Orange County Jail.

According to the Irvine Police Department (IPD), Augustine allegedly purchased high-end LEGO sets, removed valuable minifigures and components, and replaced them with dried durum wheat semolina pasta before returning the boxes for refunds. US Shocker: Montreal Man Kills 9-Year-Old Daughter on Vacation, Hides Body Under Log Before Falsely Reporting Her Missing in New York; Arrested.

“Everything was awesome in this Lego crime spree until we got involved. A suspect purchased Lego sets from Target, and removed valuable mini figures and pieces from the boxes, and in some cases, replaced 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,” police said.

Man Arrested for Swapping Toy Sets with Pasta

Authorities revealed that around 70 theft incidents across the country were linked to the suspect, resulting in total losses of about USD 34,000 (approximately INR 31 lakh) for the retailer. Justin Fairfax Death: Former Virginia Governor Kills Wife Cerina Fairfax, Dies by Suicide Amid Divorce Battle.

“But like most bad builds, this one didn't hold together. IPD detectives snapped into action, conducted surveillance, and identified the suspect. Jarrelle Augustine, 28, of Paramount, was arrested for grand theft and booked at the Orange County Jail,” the department added.

“If your master plan involves swapping LEGOs for linguine, we can promise your plan will be cooked al dente,” police quipped.

The case highlights an unusual yet costly retail fraud scheme, with losses estimated at USD 34,000 (INR 31 lakh), raising concerns over organized return fraud in major retail chains.

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(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Apr 18, 2026 06:39 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).