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Arrest made in Lego theft ring that hit NTX stores
Police have not ruled out more arrests as they work to uncover the depths of what the believe to be a large-scale operation.
WATAUGA, Texas - Watauga police arrested a man suspected of nearly two dozen thefts across multiple North Texas cities. Among the stolen merchandise were thousands of dollars' worth of Lego products.
North Texas Lego Theft Ring
What we know:
Winston Love, 28, was arrested this past Friday following a shoplifting call in Watauga.
Investigators said he walked out of the Target store on Highway 377 with $1,300 worth of Lego toys.
Police tracked him to a home where he’d been staying, which resulted in a brief standoff.
"He initially refused to come out. However, officers were able to communicate and to peacefully surrender," said Watauga Police Chief Jim Lewis.
North Texas man suspected in 23 Target store thefts arrested in Tarrant County
A North Texas man suspected of committing 23 retail thefts across the region, primarily targeting Target stores, has been arrested and charged, according to the Watauga Police Department.
Dig deeper:
A search warrant for the residence revealed evidence of a major theft ring stretching from Texas to Oklahoma, mainly involving tens of thousands of dollars' worth of Lego products.
"We know of 23 here locally just in the last two months. There are over 80 additional incidents that have occurred being tracked since this individual has begun being tracked," Lewis said.
Love had eight outstanding felony warrants and has been arrested or is wanted for thefts at stores in Dallas, Irving, Plano, Flower Mound, Euless, Fort Worth, Lewisville, Mansfield, Arlington, Irving, and Frisco.
"It’s incredibly brazen. When you watch video of the individual committing these crimes, he truly goes shopping through the store, determines what merchandise he wants, and this individual specifically targets Lego products. He either loads them in a cart or just loads them under his arms and literally walks right out the door, almost defying anybody to, in complete defiance of anybody that might try to stop him," Lewis said. "It’s easy to sell those products online at nearly their retail value, so the risk versus reward for them becomes worth it."
What's next:
Love is being held in the Tarrant County jail on a state jail felony theft charge, as well as all of his outstanding warrants for theft offenses in other counties.
Watauga police are still investigating the case and said they have not ruled out additional arrests.
The Source: The information in this story comes from the Watauga Police Department.