‘Here we go again,’ Las Vegas LEGO retailer victim of multiple smash-and-grabs in 1st year
LAS VEGAS (KLAS) — Brick by brick, Edgar Garcia has built his new business. That business had its windows smashed multiple times before its first anniversary.
LEGO fans have built loyalty to one of the only independent LEGO retailers in Nevada – Bricks and Minifigs – no matter the cost since it opened in January. Now, just staying open is costing Garcia.
“I saw the glass on the floor, and I was like, ‘Oh god, here we go again,’” Garcia said inside his store Wednesday morning, referencing his reaction walking into the store near Fort Apache and Tropicana earlier this week.
He shared surveillance video from early Sunday morning, where security footage captures the tap of a glass that shatters the front door entirely. A masked person, dressed in a black hoodie and dark jeans, is seen rolling up to the front door in a car, breaking the glass, and scavenging around the register before attempting to break into the back office.
“He was definitely looking for cash, because he ignored all of our LEGO,” Garcia said, showing 8 News Now the security video.
While this thief left empty-handed, two others did not. An early morning break-in in March left Garcia with $1,500 in glass repair, on top of the loss of multiple boxes of “exclusive” LEGOs that cost roughly $500 each stolen. In broad daylight, a customer even ran off with multiple boxes of these same LEGOs during a July grab-and-go.
Security footage from March shows a person attempting to reach Lego boxes on high shelves after breaking through one of Bricks and Minifigs’ front doors I the early morning. (Edgar Garcia) Security footage from July shows a man running out of Bricks and Minifigs after collecting multiple high-valued boxes of Legos. (Edgar Garcia)
“We’re easier targets, you know? We’re not Target or Walmart where they have, you know, a lot of staff,” Garcia said. “We’ve thought of putting in a security gate, stuff like that. But then, like, when you drive by at night and see the little LEGO store all locked up, it’s a bad look for our neighbors, for our community around here.”
The criminal trend has long broken into Clark County. When perpetrators are looking for presents under their trees, businesses are on alert. Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Captain Timothy Hatchett said they are too.
“We have holiday initiative officers throughout the valley to make sure that our community is safe. They’re stationed at all of the community properties where businesses are located with a high propensity of foot traffic,” Hatchett said during a press conference last Tuesday.
While petty larcenies like this could carry up to six months in jail, prior 8 News Now stories show those charges are frequently pled down through good behavior and petty larceny school. After that civil procedure, that record can be sealed.
Those working inside those businesses said it’s getting harder to keep the holiday cheer.
“You never know what they might have. They might have a pocket knife. For all I know they could have a gun or something,” Garcia said. “We got to focus on the positives, keep rebuilding, brick by brick, right?”
Across all three events, Garcia said no one has been identified or arrested as of Wednesday morning.
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