Bensalem police searching for several suspects amid rise in Lego thefts

BENSALEM TWP., Pennsylvania (WPVI) -- Police in Bensalem Township are on the lookout for thieves who are targeting a very popular toy - Legos.

Over the past few months, police say the township has dealt with several cases of Lego theft.

"These aren't the Lego sets your kids used to play with only 10 or 15 pieces," said Bensalem Police Sgt. Glenn Vandegrif. "These are Lego sets with 4,500 hundred pieces and are worth $300 to $400."

Sgt. Vandegrift said the most recent Lego theft happened on May 23 when a man hit the Barnes & Noble in the Neshaminy Mall.

"Took a Lego set worth approximately $250, placed it into his backpack, and exited the store without paying," Vandegrift said.

Police said the same Barnes & Noble was hit back on February 10 when a man stole $1,000 worth of Legos.

READ MORE: Suspect sought for stealing $1,000 worth of Legos from Barnes and Noble store

On February 29, at the Target on Rockhill Drive, police say a man stole $300 in Legos.

At the same Target on March 21 and April 3, police say a man got away with more than $1,000 worth of Legos.

On April 5, at the Barnes & Noble in the Neshaminy Mall, another man stole $100 in Legos.

"The reason this has become a problem is they are worth so much money. If people were able to steal these from stores and not pay anything for them, they can resell them online for significant profit," Sgt. Vandegrift said.

Action News spoke with shoppers who said they weren't surprised to hear about these Lego thefts.

"You could get a small Lego set. You would spend $60 on it. So, if you just get a bunch of those, I guess if someone's stealing them, I guess you could sell them on the market for a lot of money," said Michell Basalik, of Feasterville.

SEE ALSO: LAPD seizes more than 2,800 boxes of LEGOs in massive retail theft bust

Sgt. Vandegrift called the Lego thefts a crime of opportunity. He said police are actively looking to identify the people responsible and hold them accountable.

Officials across the country have recently reported Lego thefts.

In Los Angeles, police have been investigating a Lego theft ring for seven months.

Police said in one home, they recovered more than 2,800 boxes of Legos, resulting in the arrests of two people.

California Highway Patrol said four people were arrested after they recovered more than $200,000 in stolen Lego merchandise.