California police bust toy theft ring, recover $10K in stolen LEGO sets

Police in Southern California busted a toy theft ring this week, recovering $10,000 worth of stolen LEGO sets and other merchandise.

The Hemet Police Department’s Organized Retail Theft Team, along with Southwest Cities SWAT, served a search warrant Wednesday at a residence on South Gilbert Street, leading to the arrest of Hugo Omar Sanchez-Sanchez.

Sanchez-Sanchez, 37, was charged with possession of stolen property and organized retail theft, police said.

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Photos released by police show numerous boxes of LEGO sets and other items, including Hot Wheels, recovered by authorities.

"This operation sends a clear message that organized retail theft will not be tolerated in the City of Hemet. By recovering this stolen merchandise and returning it to our local businesses, we are not only holding offenders accountable but also helping to reduce the financial impact these crimes have on our business partners," Hemet Police Chief Michael Arellano said in a statement.

Investigators said they learned through partnerships with local retailers that large quantities of expensive LEGO sets and other merchandise were being stolen.

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Detectives identified a suspect who was allegedly selling the stolen merchandise at a local swap meet.

Police said the activity was tied to a local organized retail theft operation and that Sanchez-Sanchez was allegedly purchasing stolen goods from multiple individuals before reselling them for profit.

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After executing the search warrant, police recovered roughly $10,000 worth of stolen merchandise.