Pair of hammer-wielding, masked crooks steal thousands of dollars worth of Pokémon cards from 2 Detroit-area stores

Cops in the Detroit area are currently searching for two hammer-wielding masked thieves who targeted two stores in a spree to steal valuable Pokémon cards earlier this month. The culprits struck both stores in the early morning before opening, causing significant damage to one store by smashing glass display cases holding the cards.

The first robbery took place on May 16 at RIW Hobbies & Gaming in Livonia, where the thieves, dressed in all black with full face coverings, broke in around 5 a.m. Store owner Pam Willoughby arrived later that morning to find her glass cases shattered and the prized Pokémon cards missing. Surveillance footage revealed the two individuals smashing the display cases with a hammer, grabbing the cards, and fleeing the scene.

Willoughby estimated the losses from the break-in at $12,000, including damages to her store and the stolen cards. She suspects that the thieves may have intended to sell the cards at the Motor City Comic Con, coinciding with the day of the robbery.

A few days later, on May 20, a similar incident occurred at Eternal Games in Warren, where a suspect dressed similarly and armed with a hammer stole more Pokémon cards. This time, the thief leaped over the display case, collected the cards, and escaped with approximately $3,500 worth of valuable singles.

The owners of the targeted stores expressed concerns about being potential victims of the Pokémon bandits. Dakota Olszewski, assistant manager at Eternal Games, lamented the loss of rare cards that would be difficult to replace.

This incident is not an isolated case of Pokémon card-related criminal activity. In January, chaos erupted at a Costco in Los Angeles when customers fought over the sought-after cards, leading to a physical altercation captured on video. Subsequently, a Spider-Man impersonator was arrested in northern Virginia for breaking into a collectibles store and stealing limited edition Pokémon cards.

The surge in demand for trading cards like Pokémon, driven by tariffs impacting the market, has propelled the industry to a value exceeding $15 billion as of 2024. Investors are increasingly turning to alternative assets like trading cards amidst the evolving financial landscape.