Investigators in California are working to determine how more than $28,000 worth of Lego sets allegedly stolen from a train ended up packed inside an abandoned van in the desert.
The unusual find was made Monday when a deputy with the Barstow Sheriff’s Station checked on a van near National Trails Highway and Pioneer Road in Newberry Springs, authorities said.
Inside the vehicle, deputies discovered 123 McLaren F1 Lego sets, each valued at about $230, which officials believe were taken during a recent train burglary.
Agents with Burlington Northern and Santa Fe Railway responded to the location and verified that the merchandise had been stolen, police said.
Altogether, the recovered Lego haul was estimated to be worth $28,290.
Photos released from the scene showed stacks of Lego boxes crammed inside the van, which was marked on the exterior with a Sparkling ICE beverage logo.
Authorities have not announced any arrests, and the investigation remains active.
BNSF ranks among the largest freight rail operators in the United States, with a network spanning “32,500 route miles in 28 states and three Canadian provinces,” according to the company’s website.
Last week, suspects fired on BNSF railway police in shoot out on a San Bernardino County train in what authorities described as a robbery.
The California Post reached out to the sheriff’s office for more information.
