A man was robbed
at gunpoint in West Los Angeles on Jan. 4, and the thieves made off with a collection of rare Pokémon trading cards that were worth $300,000.According to ABC 7 Eyewitness News, the robbery took place at RWT Collective when the victim, who shopped at the store regularly, had been approached in the building’s underground parking lot by two men. The men were caught on surveillance video, and the owners of RWT provided police with images of the suspects, whom the victim positively identified.
Danny Leserman and Christopher Chou told the media outlet that they will increase the building’s security systems and add more cameras after the theft.
“He was just leaving, just trying to go home,” Leserman said.
While Chou stated, “We’re going to keep increasing our security systems, too. We’re going to get more cameras into the building, things like that,” Chou said.
There have been other reported robberies involving the Pokémon collectibles.
Earlier that day, a robbery took place at Simi Sportscards in Simi Valley.
After officials were notified of the break-in, they arrived at the store and found the door partially open, with the alarm ringing. There was significant damage, with display cases destroyed and trading cards scattered across the floor.
The police department released a statement:
“The investigation determined that a large number of trading cards were stolen. The suspects had already fled the area before officers arrived.
“The Simi Valley Police Department is aware of similar burglaries involving trading card businesses that occurred over the weekend in surrounding communities. SVPD Property Crimes Detectives are working closely with neighboring law enforcement agencies to determine whether these incidents may be connected.”
Leserman stated that the Pokémon cards have become extremely valuable to collectors.
“Most of the time, they’re used, and they’re not in good enough quality to be considered collectible. And so when they do rise to a level, that’s when the dollar amount can really get to be something pretty out there,” Leserman said.
RELATED CONTENT: End Of The Swipe: Unserious NYC Commuters Bid Farewell To the Iconic MetroCard