Overview
- Thieves in masks used a hammer to break the glass front door and display cases at Big Pack Hobby Shop in Rochelle Park and grabbed tens of thousands of dollars in merchandise in roughly one to two minutes.
- The store’s owner, Pablo Rancier, said the burglars took an estimated $40,000 to $50,000 in Pokémon cards, including individual cards worth thousands of dollars.
- Police say the thieves acted in an organized, rapid way and are checking regional license-plate readers for a small dark-colored SUV as they probe possible links to other recent trading-card robberies.
- Rancier plans to reinforce the storefront and increase security, and he intends to reopen the shop with support from loyal customers who have offered help and messages of encouragement.
- The theft is part of a wider rise in high-value trading-card crimes that has left small hobby shops vulnerable and pushed owners to add alarms, cameras, and stronger displays while law enforcement pursues coordinated suspects.