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SC dad left sleeping daughter, 6, outside Target at 1 a.m. to save his spot in line for Pokémon cards: cops

sc-dad-left-sleeping-daughter,-6,-outside-target-at-1-am.-to-save-his-spot-in-line-for-pokemon-cards:-cops
SC dad left sleeping daughter, 6, outside Target at 1 a.m. to save his spot in line for Pokémon cards: cops

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A brazen South Carolina father left his 6-year-old daughter sleeping in line outside a Target store in Charleston so he wouldn’t lose his spot overnight to get his hands on a new Pokémon card drop, according to police.

John-Michael Dooley, 35, gave his sleeping daughter a pillow and blanket while waiting alongside numerous other people in line for the trading cards outside the West Ashley neighborhood Target around 1 a.m. Friday, the Charleston Police Department said in a news release. 

Mugshot of John-Michael Dooley provided by the Charleston Police Department.

John-Michael Dooley, 35, was arrested after he left his 6-year-old daughter sleeping alone in line outside of Target at 1 a.m. Friday. Charleston Police

Dooley, a Johns Island local, then left the big-box store — recklessly abandoning the youngster alone in line, police said. 

Over an hour later, concerned line-goers contacted the cops around 2:30 a.m., who busted Dooley when he arrived back at the store sometime later.

Exterior view of the West Ashley Target store in Charleston, South Carolina.

Dooley left his daughter outside of Target in the West Ashley neighborhood in Charleston, police said. Google Maps

The irresponsible father confessed to police that he had gone home but left his daughter outside Target “so he could maintain his place in line and avoid missing the opportunity to purchase the cards,” according to Charleston Police. 

Dooley was charged with unlawful conduct toward a child and booked into the Al Cannon Detention Center.

A store display shows nearly empty shelves in the Pokemon trading card section, alongside stocked shelves for Magic: The Gathering and Yu-Gi-Oh cards, with a sign announcing the suspension of sales.

The busted father told police he left his daughter so he wouldn’t miss out on scoring a new Pokémon card release. AFP via Getty Images

His bond was set at $40,000 and is slated to return to court on Dec. 12, according to online court records. 

The youngster was unharmed and was placed into emergency protective custody with the South Carolina Department of Social Services, police said.

Pokemon cards displayed in protective sleeves with price tags on them.

The “Mega Evolution – Delta Reign” and “30th Celebration” Pokémon collections dropped Friday. Getty Images

Pokémon dropped several new trading card releases as part of the “Mega Evolution – Delta Reign” and “30th Celebration” collections on Friday — which saw crowds of dedicated fans line up across the country to get their hands on packs that start from around $5. 

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