OMAHA – Douglas County Sheriff’s deputies said they apprehended a woman over the weekend as she attempted to steal several large LEGO sets from a Target store in West Omaha.
They are currently looking for her accomplices.
According to a DCSO Facebook post, deputies are looking for a second suspect in a series of recent thefts at Target locations in the Omaha metro.
Deputies responding to the Target store near 132nd Street and West Maple Road on Saturday reported seeing two women push carts “loaded with LEGO merchandise out a security door to a waiting vehicle.”
When both women saw the deputies, they fled, but one fell in the snow and was apprehended.
Stephanie M. Brown was arrested by the DCSO on suspicion of theft, obstructing an officer, and possessing a controlled substance. The sheriff’s office also reported that she was wanted on a bench warrant.
Deputies said Saturday’s theft was “nearly identical” to two other thefts that took place at other Target stores on Friday.
Anyone with information about this “toy theft troop” is encouraged to contact the DCSO Tip Line at 402-444-6000.
High-dollar LEGO thefts have made the news several times in recent years.
Last week, King 5 in Seattle reported that a toy store in Washington state had been burglarized, with thieves making off with nearly $10,000 in LEGO sets.
Earlier this month, WBTV reported that a Wells Fargo employee was arrested on suspicion of serving as a “fence” for a theft ring that stole and resold more than $375,000 in LEGO sets from Charlotte-area Walmart, Target, Barnes & Noble, and other retailers over a few years.
In December, WFAA reported that authorities in Texas arrested suspects in a LEGO theft ring that stole more than $400,000 in LEGO sets from over 50 stores in four states over a three-year period. In April, TMX reported that California authorities had recovered approximately $300,000 in stolen LEGO sets.
Last June, CNN reported that the Los Angeles Police Department seized more than 2,800 boxes of allegedly stolen LEGO toys worth $20 to more than $1,000.
In July, NBC News reported that police in Oregon had recovered over 4,100 stolen LEGO sets worth approximately $200,000. In September 2023, KVUU reported that Las Vegas police arrested a man they claimed stole more than $7,000 in high-value Lego sets from multiple Target locations.
