South Jersey stores step up security as thieves target pricey Pokémon cards

Thieves are smashing windows and targeting trading card stores looking for valuable Pokémon cards, and two stores have now been hit in South Jersey, police said.

Surveillance video shows a pair of thieves using a hammer to smash the glass to burst into Lurk Cards and Collectibles in Gloucester Township. Then, they make a beeline to the back wall looking for popular Pokémon cards.

"It was all a matter of five minutes before they came in, came out, and they were gone," said Julian Salugao, manager at the store on Berlin-Cross Keys Road.

The theft happened around 2 a.m. Wednesday. Salugao received an alert as the thieves were rummaging through shelves, and he said the pair got away with $1,000 to $2,000 in Pokémon merchandise.

"There's many stores all over N.J. and all over the country just getting robbed over cardboard in a sense. There is a lot of value to it," said Salugao, who showed CBS Philadelphia a sealed Pikachu card worth about $1,300. 

"It's the same MO, it's two guys masked up with long sleeves, long pants," Frank Romean said.

Frank's Card Shop in Washington Township was also targeted. Romean said thieves broke his windows and display case on July 1 before stealing a stash of Pokémon cards.

"So, all told, they probably got away with 10 to 12 cards and 10 to 12 boxes totaling around $10,000 in value," Romean said.

Romean says he believes the same pair came back again nine days later, but they were unable to get inside after he made safety upgrades at his store.

"We have a lot more cameras in here, we have motion detectors, we have glass break detectors," he said.

Washington Township Police said an arrest warrant has been issued for 31-year-old Rafael Gordian, of Philadelphia, in connection with the burglary at Frank's, but officers are still looking for him.

Both Frank's and Lurk Cards are taking steps to protect their stores, including emptying all display cases at the end of the day.

"We just want this to be solved and really prevent it from happening to anyone else," Salugao said.

Gloucester Township Police said they are investigating whether the two cases are connected. They are also looking into other similar thefts in Philly that they believe could also be connected.

Meanwhile, officers in Gloucester Township have increased patrols around local card stores.