In a daring overnight theft, a group of masked men smashed through the wall of a collectible shop in California and made off with Pokemon cards worth about $180,000. The brazen robbery, which took place in Anaheim City earlier this week, was caught on surveillance camera.
The incident occurred in the early hours of Tuesday at DOWE Collectibles on North Harbor Boulevard. Authorities said four suspects first broke into a neighboring insurance office, then used a sledgehammer to smash through a shared wall into the collectibles store, according to a report in FOX40 News.
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Surveillance video shows the suspects moving quickly, bypassing electronics and other valuables to target high-value trading cards. Within five to seven minutes, they emptied multiple display cases, escaping in a dark-colored sedan.
Store owner Duy Pham, who was asleep at his home in Corona, was alerted by his security system. “I clicked on the footage and saw guys coming through the hole… My heart was racing," he told the news outlet. He immediately called 911 and rushed to the store.
Pham noted that the thieves clearly knew what they were after, ignoring computers and cameras entirely. Some of the stolen cards are worth thousands of dollars each, he said.
The incident highlights a growing trend, as the rising market value of rare Pokémon cards has made specialty shops a target for criminals. “One card can be worth up to $10,000…People see the money is there," he added.
“When you’re in this business, you feel like you have a target on your back," Pham said.
The Anaheim police have launched an investigation into the burglary. So far, no arrests have been made.
Source: World News in news18.com, World Latest News, World News
