Lego robberies in southern California have small business owners on edge
PHOENIX - In the last two months, 6 Bricks & Minifigs stores have been broken into with several Lego kits worth thousands of dollars stolen from inside the stores.
Walt and Cathy Chrisman have owned Bricks and Minifigs in central Phoenix for almost three years.
Walt Chrisman gets emotional when talking about his connection to Lego.
"My love for Lego probably comes from - I get emotional talking about it - it comes from spending time with our kids and really building a business that surrounds it," his wife said.
Where are these robberies happening?
They are aware of the situation at other Bricks and Minifigs stores that were robbed in Southern California.
Walt feels fortunate they have not had any issues so far. However, they are disappointed that Legos have become a hot commodity among thieves, who are selling the stolen items on the black market.
Cathy Chrisman finds it very disturbing, especially since those affected business owners are franchisees just like them.
"It's frustrating that people would rob businesses, family businesses, for their own gain," she added.
What Lego items are being stolen most?
The robbers are after high-value items, Walt says.
"There's some Star Wars sets that are worth several thousand dollars now that maybe originally cost maybe $100," he said.
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While police piece together who is responsible for stealing the thousands of dollars worth of Legos at multiple Bricks and Minifigs locations in Southern California, the Chrismans are staying vigilant with extra security measures in place.
"We have measures in place to mitigate theft," says Cathy Chrisman.
Have Lego thieves struck in the Valley before?
Lego theft isn't as uncommon as you might think.
Just last year, a Valley woman was arrested for stealing $17,000 worth of Legos from Tempe stores.