Gotta catch ‘em all!
A crew of thieves made off with an estimated $40,000 to $50,000 worth of Pokémon cards during a smash-and-grab robbery at a playing card store in New Jersey, according to a report.
The trio of bandits pulled off the heist in just one minute and 13 seconds at Big Pack Hobby Shop in Rochelle Park, according to surveillance footage obtained by ABC7.
The video shows three men fully dressed in black clothing rushing toward the back of the store, immediately smashing a particular display case close to the register.
It is unknown if the suspects posed as customers before the blitz-style robbery.
“This was like a dream of mine opening the card store, we just celebrated our three-year anniversary yesterday actually, this is a passion of mine, as much as it sucks and it could happen again, I’m just going to keep going because this is what I love,” store owner Pablo Rancier told ABC7 on Thursday.
Law enforcement hopes that license plate readers will help them identify the small, dark-colored SUV used as the getaway vehicle.
Rancier says that while the heist was a blow to morale, he remains optimistic that the shop can stay afloat.
“Gotta stay positive, I could sit and mope and be angry, but I have tons of messages of support so it felt good, we’re going to try to restock and clean everything up and get new displays, and I’m gonna be back to serving everyone who wants to come in,” Rancier said.
