Accused Pokémon card bandits busted in California as thefts surge
Matt Finn reports on the surge in Pokémon card thefts across California and beyond. In San Francisco, police arrested juvenile suspects involved in a pepper spray robbery using high-tech tools. A separate incident in Brentwood, CA saw masked bandits steal thousands worth of cards in under a minute, prompting the owner to boost security.
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A South Carolina man was arrested after allegedly leaving his 6-year-old daughter asleep outside a Target store overnight so she could hold his place in line for a new Pokémon trading card release, police said.
Charleston Police Department officers arrested 35-year-old John-Michael Dooley on Nov. 6 after responding to a Target location around 2:30 a.m. on reports of an unattended child.
Upon arrival, officers learned the young girl had originally been waiting in line with her father alongside a crowd of customers gathered overnight for the release of a new Pokémon trading card set.
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John-Michael Dooley, 35, left his 6-year-old daughter outside to wait in line overnight for him in anticipation of the release of a new Pokémon trading card set, police said. (Charleston Police Department/Getty Images)
Sometime after 1 a.m., Dooley gave his daughter a pillow and blanket, leaving her asleep in line before walking away, according to police.
“After approximately an hour passed without his return, concerned customers contacted police,” the department said in a news release.
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Witnesses identified Dooley when he returned to the store, and officers took him into custody. During questioning by investigators, Dooley admitted to leaving his daughter to hold his spot in line while he went home.
A competitor holds a deck showing a Determinazione Lylia card while playing the Pokémon Trading Card Game at the Pokémon Europe International Championships at ExCeL London on Feb. 13, 2026, in London, England. (John Keeble/Getty)
Authorities did not clarify whether Dooley planned to purchase the cards for himself or his daughter. The release coincided with the rollout of the latest Pokémon trading card expansion set: Mega Evolution—Delta Reign.
The massive Japanese media franchise, centered on fictional creatures, remains exceptionally popular among both children and adult collectors. While standard booster packs retail for around $5, rare cards can command thousands on the secondary market.
Police confirmed the child was unharmed. She was placed into the custody of the South Carolina Department of Social Services.
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Dooley was charged with unlawful conduct toward a child and subsequently released from the Al Cannon Detention Center, according to online jail records.
