A South Carolina man has been 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, according to police.
Officers from the Charleston Police Department arrested John-Michael Dooley, 35, on November 6 after responding to the Target location around 2:30 a.m. on reports of an unattended child. Upon arrival, authorities learned the girl had been waiting in line with her father among other customers gathered for the release of a new Pokémon trading card set.
Police stated that Dooley gave his daughter a pillow and blanket and left her asleep in line sometime after 1 a.m. before walking away. After approximately an hour passed without his return, concerned customers alerted the authorities.
Witnesses identified Dooley when he returned to the store, and he was taken into custody. During questioning, Dooley admitted to leaving his daughter to hold his spot in line while he went home. The release was for the latest Pokémon trading card expansion set, Mega Evolution—Delta Reign.
Authorities confirmed the child was unharmed and was placed into the custody of the South Carolina Department of Social Services. Dooley was charged with unlawful conduct toward a child and released from the Al Cannon Detention Center. The Pokémon franchise remains popular among collectors, with rare cards sometimes commanding high prices on the secondary market. A separate report mentioned ongoing surges in Pokémon card thefts in California, where juvenile suspects were arrested in connection with a pepper spray robbery and masked individuals stole thousands of dollars worth of cards in another incident.