In South Carolina, police arrested a 35-year-old man for leaving his six-year-old daughter sleeping outside a closed Target store in the middle of the night. The girl was supposed to hold her father's place in line for a new Pokémon trading card set while he drove home.
In South Carolina, police arrested a 35-year-old man for leaving his six-year-old daughter sleeping outside a closed Target store in the middle of the night. The girl was supposed to hold her father's place in line for a new Pokémon trading card set while he drove home.
According to ABC News, citing the Charleston Police Department, the incident occurred on Friday night. At around 2:30 a.m., law enforcement officers received a call from concerned shoppers who had also gathered outside the supermarket in anticipation of the morning release of new cards.
Witnesses told police that the man, later identified as John-Michael Dooley, gave his daughter a pillow and blanket, put her to sleep on the sidewalk, and left the place after 1 a.m. When more than an hour passed and he still hadn't appeared, people in line decided to call the police. The man was arrested shortly after he returned to the store.
During a conversation with investigators, Dooley admitted that he left the child unattended and went home so as not to lose his place in line and be guaranteed to buy collectibles. The girl was not injured at the moment, she was transferred to the emergency care of the state Department of Human Services. The father himself was charged with unlawful treatment of a child. He was later released from custody pending trial. Representatives of the Target network confirmed that they will cooperate with law enforcement in the investigation.
The Pokémon trading card craze has been going on for several years now, transforming from a children's hobby into a large-scale speculative business. Rare copies are sold at auctions for tens and hundreds of thousands of dollars , and the releases of new limited edition sets are regularly accompanied by huge queues.
In 2021, due to massive clashes between retailers, the Target chain was even forced to temporarily suspend the sale of Pokémon cards in its physical stores to ensure the safety of staff and customers.
