Pasta for Lego: Man Arrested in Target Scam

A man identified as Jarrelle Augustine, 28, has been arrested for allegedly orchestrating a scam involving Lego sets and dried pasta. He is accused of purchasing Lego sets from Target stores and replacing the contents with pasta before returning them for cash refunds. This alleged scheme led to an estimated $34,000 in losses for Target, with approximately 70 similar thefts reported across the country and potentially outside of Orange County.

Irvine Police Department detectives identified Augustine through surveillance after Target reported the fraudulent returns. Authorities noted that dried pasta can create a sound similar to Lego pieces when shaken, allowing the suspect to deceive store employees. Augustine was taken into custody at the Orange County Jail, and investigators are continuing their work on the case, which involved multiple Target locations in and around Orange County.