Last Thursday morning, a University Place toy store, Sasquatch Bricks, became the latest victim of a burglary designed to briskly make off with a trove of LEGO merchandise. According to FOX13 Seattle, a portion of the $10K heist was caught on camera, adding to a string of similar incidents within the LEGO community over recent years.

The thieves, showcasing a certain audacity, opted to dramatically use a U-Haul truck in their smash-and-grab tactics. Sasquatch Bricks' owner, Nelson, reflected on the troubling trend in an interview with KATU, saying, "This hasn’t been an unusual thing in the Lego community for the last few years. There have been smash and grabs, Targets, Walmarts. All the big box stores now have all their Lego locked up." University Place police are closely studying a video recorded by an observant neighbor residing above the store, though no arrests have been made swiftly yet.

In the aftermath of the break-in, Nelson has remained resilient, reinvesting in his store's security by reinforcing the windows and enhancing other protective measures. According to KING5, despite the recent setback, Nelson plans to not just rebound, but to ambitiously expand with the opening of a second Sasquatch Bricks location in Puyallup in the coming months.

Nelson shared with KING5, "Our customers are absolutely fantastic. They’re heartbroken. People came in tears yesterday just because of how they felt about it. You know, this is their neighborhood Lego store." Local authorities continue to probe the burglary and are urging anyone with relevant information to get directly in contact with University Place police to assist in the investigation.