Man steals $900 in Legos, hides in trash can after car chase, California police say

A wild chase ending in a crash followed the theft of $900 in Legos from a store, California police reported.

A store reported to 911 dispatchers that a man stole Lego sets valued at about $900 on Friday, Feb. 9, the Vallejo Police Department said in a news release.

The accused thief dashed outside to a waiting Hyundai Sonata with a stolen license plate, police said. When police tried to pull the car over, the driver led them on an 11-mile chase.

During the pursuit, the passenger jumped out of the car at 50 mph, police said.

Officers continued to chase the Sonata until the driver lost control and crashed into a retaining wall, police said. He was arrested on outstanding warrants for grand theft and a vehicle offense, police said.

Officers searched the area for the passenger until a resident told them a man was hiding a trash can in their backyard, police said.

Officers found the man, and he was hospitalized with “significant” injuries from jumping from the moving car, police said.

A photo posted with the release showed several stolen Lego sets, including ones with Super Mario and Sonic the Hedgehog themes.

Vallejo is about 30 miles northeast of San Francisco.

This story was originally published February 12, 2024 at 12:35 PM with the headline "Man steals $900 in Legos, hides in trash can after car chase, California police say."