Thieves target Pokémon card shop in Pico-Robertson area
For the second time in just over a month, the owners of a Pokémon card shop in the Pico-Robertson area are cleaning up after thieves targeted their business.
The Los Angeles Police Department said that they received a call around 2:50 a.m. that a business in the 1100 block of S Robertson was burglarized.
Security cameras from the shop captured how quickly three masked suspects were able to get in and out. The LAPD says possibly two men and one woman can be seen climbing through the shattered front door before knocking over a promotional banner near the entrance. They immediately head toward the front counter, grabbing merchandise, then move to another display to take more items before running back outside.
The entire burglary lasted less than a minute. Security camera video then shows the suspects speeding away in a black four-door sedan.
Police say the suspects fled before officers arrived, and detectives were on scene investigating shortly after.
The owners were seen cleaning up the broken glass and damage inside the store.
This wasn't the first time the store has been targeted. On May 24, around 2:30 a.m., security camera video captured two suspects smashing through the same front glass door before rushing inside. The owner told CBS LA that they stole "a lot of product." After that burglary, the business invested heavily in upgraded security measures, though the owners have not released how much merchandise was taken.
The latest burglary comes as trading card stores across Southern California continue to be targeted by organized theft crews. In recent months, burglars have hit shops in Burbank, Anaheim, Brentwood and Simi Valley, stealing anywhere from thousands to more than $100,000 worth of Pokémon and sports cards during quick smash-and-grab burglaries.
Experts say rare trading cards have become the equivalent of luxury watches or jewelry because of their high resale value and thriving secondary market, making specialty card shops increasingly attractive targets.
