When detectives from the Santa Rosa Police Department arrived at a house in Lake County, Calif., on Monday, they discovered what looked like a Lego crime scene.
Plastic figurines were everywhere, their heads removed from their bodies and organized in neat rows by facial expression.
Tubs and bins brimmed with loose pieces — tens of thousands of them, according to the police — and were scattered across desks in the living room.
Unopened sets lined the hallway floors.
An investigation that began last month culminated in the arrest of Robert Lopez, 39. The police said in a statement on Wednesday that Mr. Lopez had stolen more $6,000 worth of the popular toys.
“Lopez was directing others to steal expensive Lego sets and purchasing the stolen property at a reduced price to turn around and resell the sets or individual mini figurines at inflated prices,” the police said.
It was not immediately clear who was buying from Mr. Lopez. On Friday, the investigation was still ongoing “to identify others involved and locate the retailers from where the Legos were stolen,” said Sgt. Patricia Seffens of the Police Department.
Mr. Lopez was charged with, among things, organized retail theft and conspiracy to commit a felony. Under Californian law, those convicted of a felony of organized retail theft can face up to three years in prison.
It was not immediately clear whether Mr. Lopez had a lawyer.
The police said that when they visited Mr. Lopez’s garage, it had about 100 assembled mini figures displayed on shelves, along with unopened sets and broken-down packaging.
“The scene suggested systematic sorting and potential resale activity, consistent with fencing operations involving high-demand collectible items,” the police said.
Lego sets can cost from $4.99 to nearly $1,000, according to the company’s website.
The company has a long history of selling limited edition, collectible items and packages that can resell for much higher than their retail price.
Some Lego products can increase in value by 10 percent a year, said Will Jensen, the chief operating officer of brickLAB, a family-owned toy store in Frisco, Texas, that buys and sells Lego products.
“This isn’t surprising,” he said of the drastic increase in value of Lego products. “Legos are collectibles like baseball or Pokemon cards or art.”
Earlier this year, the LEGO San Diego Comic-Con 2013 Spider Man figurine was valued at more than $15,000 on the secondhand market.
The sale of stolen Lego collectible figurines is a growing concern because of “their high resale value, popularity among collectors, and ease of concealment,” the Santa Rosa police said.
“These items are often targeted because they’re small, untraceable, and in high demand, making them ideal for quick resale through online marketplaces or informal channels,” the police said.
The toys have been a popular item for thieves to snag off shelves in retail stores.
Last year in California, burglars stole more than $100,000 worth of Lego kits and accessories at Bricks & Minifigs, a Lego retailer.
Retail theft and organized retail theft in California has been on the rise in recent years, according to police and government figures.
From 2014 through 2023, reported retail theft increased by about 11 percent in California, according to a June report by the state’s Legislative Analyst’s Office.
It’s hard to say how often theft rings like this are formed.
“The number of cases where a theft-related crime occurs at a retail business, specifically, is not tracked,” said Caitlin O’Neil, a principal fiscal and policy analyst at that office. “This is because statewide crime statistics are generally not tracked by the type of victim.”
The police said they had partnered with Walmart and Target to investigate the Lego thefts.
“Our collaboration with law enforcement in combating organized retail crime is critical in fulfilling our mission of helping people save money and live better,” a Walmart spokesman said.
A representative of Target was unavailable to comment on Friday.
In addition to the toys, the police said they had found several weapons inside a safe in Mr. Lopez’s residence, including a shotgun and a loaded assault rifle.
Jin Yu Young reports on South Korea, the Asia Pacific region and global breaking news from Seoul.
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