A South Carolina father was taken into custody after he allegedly left his 6-year-old daughter asleep outside a Target store through the night to guard his place in line for Pokémon cards, according to reports.
Police say John-Michael Dooley, 35, was waiting with his daughter on Friday outside the store in Charleston’s West Ashley area, where a crowd of Pokémon fans had gradually formed overnight ahead of a newly launched set of the trading cards.
Authorities said officers responded to the store around at about 2:30 a.m. following reports of a child left alone. People at the scene informed police that Dooley had given his daughter a blanket and a pillow sometime after 1 a.m., then walked away and left her asleep in his spot in line. When he did not come back after about an hour, those witnesses contacted law enforcement.
Dooley later came back to the shop and was placed under arrest. During a conversation with detectives, he reportedly said he had gone home and left his young daughter by herself so he could remain in line, according to police.
He was accused of improper behavior toward a child. Police said the girl was not injured and was placed into emergency protective custody right away.
This troubling case of Pokémon card-related parental neglect stands in sharp contrast to recent news involving the father of the late Pokémon influencer Avery the Poké Kid, who made an emotional appeal for The Pokémon Company to create a special card in his son’s memory. On Instagram, Avery’s father Christian Garcia stated that he was looking for a way to preserve his son in the trading card game he adored so deeply.
As of now, there has been no formal reply had been issued regarding Garcia’s request.
Pokémon Trading Cards, now marking its 30th anniversary, was recently revealed as one of these year’s additions to the National Toy Hall of Fame, joining Bingo, Care Bears, and the classic slide, while edging out nominees such as Bop It!, mahjong, and Polly Pocket.
The curator said the Pokémon TCG’s broad appeal and worldwide reach are clear, noting that it took card game ideas from earlier titles, made them easier to approach, and added the charm of the Pokémon characters.
Tristan Ogilvie serves as a senior video editor in Sydney, Australia, with 25 years of experience covering video games. He previously worked as Deputy Editor for Official PlayStation 2 Magazine Australia and later as editor of Official Xbox 360 Magazine Australia before he joined IGN in 2009. You can follow him on Bluesky at @tristanogilvie.bsky.social