More than $28,000 worth of Formula 1-themed LEGO sets stolen from a train have been discovered inside an abandoned van in the California desert.
Deputies from the Barstow Sheriff’s Station found the vehicle on August 17 with more than 120 boxes of McLaren F1 LEGO sets inside.
The collection was initially estimated to be worth around $30,000. Investigators suspected the sets were connected to a recent train robbery, and agents from Burlington Northern Santa Fe Railway later confirmed they matched the stolen merchandise.
LEGO sets have increasingly become targets for thieves as rare and expensive collections have grown in value, leading to robberies at stores and other locations across the country.
What remains unclear is how the van carrying the stolen sets ended up abandoned in the desert near Barstow.
Authorities have released information about the vehicle, including its license plate, as they continue investigating the theft.
No arrests have been made so far, and police are still working to determine who stole the LEGO sets and why the merchandise was apparently left behind.