A South Carolina man has been arrested and charged with child neglect after authorities say he left his 6-year-old daughter asleep outside a Target store overnight to hold his place in line for newly released Pokémon trading cards.
According to reports from the Washington Post and local law enforcement, 35-year-old John-Michael Dooley was waiting outside a Target location in Charleston’s West Ashley district this past Friday. He was part of a growing crowd of enthusiasts who had slowly gathered through the night in anticipation of a highly sought-after new product drop from the globally popular trading card game franchise.
A news release issued by the Charleston Police Department detailed that officers were dispatched to the retail store at approximately 2:30 a.m. following reports of an unattended child. Witnesses at the scene reported to police that Dooley had supplied his young daughter with a blanket and a pillow sometime after 1:00 a.m. before walking away and leaving her sleeping in his spot within the queue. When Dooley failed to return to the location for over an hour, the concerned bystanders felt compelled to contact local authorities to ensure the child’s safety.
Dooley eventually returned to the storefront while police were investigating the situation and was promptly taken into custody. During subsequent questioning by law enforcement, Dooley admitted that he had gone back home and left his young daughter unattended in the middle of the night solely to preserve his position in the retail line, according to the Charleston Police Department.
Following his arrest, Dooley was charged with unlawful conduct toward a child. Police confirmed that the 6-year-old girl was unharmed during the incident and was immediately taken into emergency protective custody by child welfare authorities.
This startling incident of parental negligence comes amid a complex cultural backdrop for the Pokémon franchise, which has seen both heartwarming community appeals and major institutional recognition in recent weeks. Just prior to the arrest, viral news circulated regarding the father of late Pokémon content creator Avery, known online as Avery the Poké Kid, who made an emotional public plea to The Pokémon Company. Avery’s father, Christian Garcia, took to Instagram to ask the multinational corporation to consider immortalizing his late son within the trading card game that meant so much to him.
"I want to make a plea to anyone, literally anyone from The Pokémon Company: If you’re watching this video, I want to figure out how to immortalize him somehow in the trading card game he loved so much," Garcia said in his video message. At the time of reporting, the Japanese company had not issued an official public response regarding Garcia’s heartfelt request.
The high-stakes mania surrounding new card drops also coincides with a milestone celebration for the brand, as the Pokémon Trading Card Game marks its 30th anniversary. Adding to the legacy of the franchise, the Pokémon TCG was recently announced as an official inductee into the National Toy Hall of Fame. It joins a prestigious class of this year’s inductees that includes Bingo, Care Bears, and the classic playground slide, successfully beating out other notable finalists such as Bop It!, mahjong, and Polly Pocket.
"Pokémon TCG’s widespread appeal and global presence are undeniable," Museum Curator Mirek Stolee said of the induction. "The Pokémon TCG successfully adapted card game formulas established by its predecessors, making it more accessible and infusing it with the lovable Pokémon creatures."
