Pokémon has had its resurgence over the last year and a half, especially for customers at Punch Out Gaming in Forest Lake. “If it says Pokémon on it, it sells…Pokémon is literally the hottest thing right now,” said Eric Johnson, co-owner of Punch Out Gaming with his twin brother.
Early Thursday morning, trading cards and games were flying off the shelves, but not in a way any shop-owner would hope for. Surveillance cameras inside the store captured a thief who broke into a vacant store next door to Punch Out Gaming and then busted through a shared wall to get inside.
“They broke through the walls, crawled through, and took all the sealed product out there,” said Johnson.
The thieves emptied out two entire storage rooms worth of Pokémon products over the course of about two hours, and they had prepared, as they never opened the door that would have tripped the store’s alarm system. The value of the stolen products, according to Johnson after completing inventory, estimates to be about $250,000. “He must have had help because there were a lot of boxes,” said Johnson.
Punch Out Gaming has been open for 8 years and is family-owned. This was undoubtedly a huge hit to the small shop. “I realized how much money, product, and time we put into it, and I just started crying…I can’t recover this product because our distributors don’t have any. So, even with the insurance money, that doesn’t do us any good,” admitted Johnson.
Forest Lake Police are investigating the burglary and are deeming the man in the surveillance video a “person of interest” that detectives want to speak with. Anyone with any information on the crime can call Forest Lake Police at 651-429-9381.
The entire online Pokémon community has embraced the store in the wake of the theft, ensuring to keep a close eye on any online listings that might be selling the stolen goods, Johnson tells FOX 9.