A thief broke into a Florida collectible store early Monday morning and stole a large stash of Pokemon cards, according to police. The burglary took place at Gem Mint Cards in DeLand, where surveillance footage captured the suspect smashing through the front door.
The store’s owners posted a surveillance video on Facebook showing a masked person smashing the front door and crawling through the broken glass with a large bin. The intruder then went directly behind the counter and appeared to take several cards.
Christen Wybo, the store’s owner, told News 6 that most of the stolen items were high-value Pokemon cards. Many were graded, making them some of the most expensive in the store. Others were commonly used by players to build custom decks.
Wybo estimated the loss to be between $25,000 and $30,000. “People just see money on a shelf,” she said, “but for us and the community, it’s a hobby and a passion.”
The store believes the same person may be linked to other card shop thefts across Florida. Their post on Facebook noted the burglar was wearing the same hoodie, gloves, and carrying the same tote bag seen in other incidents.
Due to the break-in, Gem Mint Cards closed on Monday to repair damage and recover. The owners expressed gratitude to their local community for its ongoing support.
Police confirmed the suspect has not been found yet, but said the main target was Pokemon cards.
Another similar burglary occurred in Jacksonville, where a thief threw a brick through a card shop window and stole multiple Pokemon cards, according to WJXT.
Many older and rare Pokemon cards are worth thousands of dollars, making them a popular target for theft.
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