Clayton Warren, 33, of West Palm Beach, Florida, is accused of breaking into the Collection Realm card shop overnight on May 21 using a battery-powered chainsaw to steal approximately $12,000 worth of Pokémon cards [1, 2]. Security footage shows Warren attempting to break a window with a rock before using the chainsaw to gain entry [1, 2].
Warren was spotted visiting the store two days earlier on May 19, according to surveillance videos [1, 2]. Investigators found blood at the scene which they believe came from Warren, the Palm Beach County Sheriff's Office reported [1, 2]. Warren was charged with burglary of an unoccupied structure and grand theft exceeding $10,000 [1, 2].
Police said thefts of valuable Pokémon cards have been rising recently across the U.S. and Europe [1, 2]. Just after Warren's arrest, another man was caught on camera breaking into a card shop in Arizona with a sledgehammer and stealing about $7,000 worth of cards [1].
Earlier incidents this year include an armed robbery in Manhattan in January where $100,000 worth of Pokémon cards were stolen [2], and a December overnight theft in Burbank, California, involving $100,000 in stock [2]. In July, a man was arrested in Pasadena, California after hiding inside a Best Buy before a Pokémon card release [2].
Some card shop owners have started boosting security and taking other precautions to prevent thefts [1]. Warren’s case remains under investigation as authorities continue to trace the stolen cards. A court date for Warren has not yet been announced.
