In a recent incident, a collectibles store in Anaheim reported the theft of about $180,000 worth of Pokémon cards during a break-in that occurred early in the morning. Local news outlets indicated that four suspects forced their way into Do We Collectibles around 3 a.m. on February 18. They broke the glass door of an adjacent insurance office to gain access through a shared wall.
Once inside, the thieves smashed display cases and specifically targeted valuable trading cards, some of which were worth upwards of $10,000. This wasn’t the first time trouble had struck; the store had experienced two break-ins in the previous six months.
Anaheim police have yet to respond to inquiries for further details. Vincent Bui, an employee at the store, mentioned that it seemed the suspects had planned their approach. “They came during the day and scouted the area, and they knew where the display cases were, where to go, and our weak points,” he noted.
Interestingly, one suspect accidentally left behind an unlocked cell phone, providing investigators with a useful piece of evidence. Reports detailed that the suspects made their escape in a dark sedan, managing to steal hundreds of trading cards in just about ten minutes.
Owner Duy Pham expressed concerns about security, explaining that while they have cameras and other measures, he had anticipated such an event could occur. “I expected something to happen sooner or later,” he commented. “In this business, we have a target on our backs. We don’t sleep well at night because sooner or later we’re going to have a break-in.” He also added, “They took away a lot of small single cards. We have a lot of those cards, so it adds up to a lot of money…A lot of merchandise was stolen here.” The emptiness of the display cases spoke volumes about the loss they experienced.
