Overview
- Security video showed three masked suspects smash the storefront, grab merchandise in under a minute and flee in a dark four-door sedan, with police receiving a call at around 3 a.m.
- The burglary is the second at the newly opened PokéMall in about two months and came after owners installed upgraded security measures following the first break-in.
- Estimates of the value taken differ, with the LAPD initially saying roughly $10,000 was stolen and the shop owner later telling a local outlet the loss was closer to $300.
- Police say the suspects fled in a black four-door vehicle, reported as a Mercedes, last seen heading south on Robertson toward the 10 Freeway, and detectives are actively investigating with no arrests announced.
- The incident reflects a wider Southern California trend of rapid, coordinated thefts targeting Pokémon and sports card stores because rare cards command high prices on the secondary market, leaving small businesses facing higher security and insurance costs.