Burglars rammed a pickup truck into a card shop in Tacoma, Washington, in a smash-and-grab raid that saw them escape with $50,000 worth of Pokémon and Magic: The Gathering cards.
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The masked burglars hauled away several containers filled with valuable trading cards from Northwest Sportscards, a family-owned collectibles shop.
"It's scary. They came in with a lot of force, in and out in just a couple of minutes," said Don Knutsen, owner of Northwest Sportscards. "I think it was well-rehearsed."
Tacoma police state that the burglary occurred on Monday shortly after 5 AM. Surveillance footage shows a black Dodge pickup truck barreling through the building to create a rear entrance. Moments later, the masked crew tossed hordes of merchandise into totes.
"They got a large quantity of product and filled up the whole bed of their truck," Knutsen said. "They came in looking for Pokémon, but ended up getting a lot of Magic as well."
Trading Card Store Owner Beefs Up Security After Massive Heist
Knutsen explained that break-in burglaries have a massive impact on businesses that extend beyond the merchandise stolen.
"Every time something is stolen, we need to sell 10 times as much product just to break even to make up for the items that were stolen, and that's hard to do," Knutsen said. "These break-ins have really been a challenge. They are setting us back."
Many of the stolen cards were in sealed boxes with no serial numbers, which makes them harder to trace than graded sports cards.
The shop is offering a $5,000 reward for information leading to an arrest and conviction.
Police are also calling for public assistance in identifying the Pokémon-crazed criminals and have shared a description of the getaway vehicle.
Police are looking for a dark 2006 or 2007 Dodge Ram 2500 or 3500. Authorities noted that the vehicle has a broken driver's side taillight and rear bumper damage.
Following the massive heist, Knutsen said that he is increasing the store's security measures. Northwest Sportscards will now have overnight security seven days a week. Bollards have also been installed outside the store to prevent vehicles from crashing in again.
