Customer robbed at gunpoint for rare Pokémon cards worth $300K in LA

A customer was robbed at gunpoint for rare Pokémon cards worth $300,000 in West Los Angeles, part of a string of recent robberies across the city

Thieves Target Rare Pokémon Cards in West Los Angeles

WEST LOS ANGELES (KABC) — This weekend, thieves targeted rare Pokémon cards in two separate incidents, with reported losses totaling hundreds of thousands of dollars.

No arrests have been made in either case.

Robbery at RWT Collective

On Sunday night, a regular customer was robbed at gunpoint in the underground parking lot of RWT Collective in West Los Angeles. Co-owners Danny Leserman and Christopher Chou shared images of the two suspects involved in the robbery. The victim identified them as the men who robbed him when Los Angeles police detectives arrived.

“He was just leaving, just trying to go home,” Leserman said.

The owners are already working on enhancing security measures. “We’re going to keep increasing our security systems, too. We’re going to get more cameras into the building,” Chou said.

On Monday, property management began installing surveillance cameras in the parking area and around the building. The owners are also collaborating with property management to have armed guards at the store and building.

Value of Stolen Cards

The stolen Pokémon cards from the RWT Collective customer are valued at approximately $300,000. Collectibles dealers in Southern California are concerned after a thief struck two stores overnight, possibly targeting a third, with tens of thousands of dollars in goods stolen.

There has been a series of similar robberies across Southern California. Over the weekend, burglars also broke into Simi Sportscards in Simi Valley, stealing valuable Pokémon cards.

Why Are Pokémon Cards Valuable?

“Most of the time, they’re used, and they’re not in good enough quality to be considered collectible. And so when they do rise to a level, that’s when the dollar amount can really get to be something pretty out there,” Leserman explained.

Law enforcement officials are comparing notes to determine if the recent robberies are connected. Police are investigating a burglary at a trading card and collectibles store where more than $100,000 in merchandise, mainly Pokémon products, was stolen.