Florida 'Lego Bandit' arrested after high-speed chase: Cops
· Toronto Sun
See more Toronto Sun on Google — save as a Preferred Source
A man in Florida dubbed the “Lego Bandit” by police for allegedly organizing a series of retail thefts was nabbed by cops last week following a high-speed chase.
Visit moryak.biz for more information.
In a video released by the Nassau County Sheriff’s Office , dashcam footage taken from a police vehicle showed the alleged thief fleeing in a U-Haul truck, zig-zagging past other vehicles on a busy highway.
With traffic blocking the road ahead, the truck turns into a parking lot, where a police cruiser pins the truck against a tree.
The man is taken into custody, with a deputy reprimanding him for putting other drivers at risk.
Accused linked to recent rash of thefts
According to local reports, police said the accused was responsible for three previous thefts at Target stores in Nassau County in which thieves filled shopping carts with high-priced Lego sets, pushed the stolen merch through emergency exits, and fled in a vehicle parked outside.
Then on Sept. 15, police said investigators were notified of an attempted theft at a Walmart, with the store’s asset protection employees stopping the shoplifter as he allegedly tried to steal 12 Lego sets.
He allegedly struck an officer in the arm with his truck after he was initially stopped near the store.
Ronald Lorne Tipton has been charged with aggravated battery of a law enforcement officer, aggravated fleeing with injury or damage, coordinating others in retail theft over $3,000, and dealing in stolen property.
Local reports said officers found suspected methamphetamine, crack cocaine and fentanyl in the truck, and arrested a second suspect on unrelated drug charges.