Robber snags $115K in Pokémon collectibles in 30-second smash-and-grab heist
By VERONICA HAYNES, JENNIFER PENATE
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NEW BEDFORD, Massachusetts (WCVB) — An investigation is underway after more than $100,000 in high-end Pokémon collectibles were stolen this week from a Massachusetts shop.
The heist happened at about 2:30 a.m. Tuesday at 1st Edition Collectibles on Purchase Street in New Bedford.
Storeowners said the missing collectibles are valued at about $115,000 and include an Unlimited Green Wings Booster Box, a Neo Revelation Unlimited Booster Box, as well as several mint-condition and first-edition Pokémon trading cards.
Security video of the robbery shows a person in a hoodie and a mask smashing the shop’s glass door before running behind the counter, opening the cases and stuffing the items into a backpack. From start to finish, the robbery takes just 30 seconds from the moment the robber enters the shop until the moment they flee out the same door.
New Bedford police said the incident is under investigation and no arrests have been made.
The shop posted it would be closed until early next week “to reflect, regroup, revamp and come back even better.”
“We appreciate the community support we’ve received, it truly means so much to us to see you all come together to spread awareness and keep an eye out for the stolen items,” Andrew and the co-owners posted.
One of the store’s owners, Filipe Andre, said he and two of his friends opened the store four years ago as a passion project, after collecting cards their whole lives.
“In my mind, the way I see it, it was premeditated, he knew exactly what items he was going for and he was in and out in 20 seconds,” Andre said.
He believes the person responsible knew the building well – they cut the lock of the gate behind the property and shattered the back door to get into his store, which has no direct street entrance.
“We’re looking through our old video to see if we can get anyone in the past month or so that would come in and maybe look like they were casing the place,” Andre said.
He has the following message for the person behind the crime.
“If you’re watching, you can return our stuff, no questions asked. I don’t want to say we’ll forget it ever happened, but we’ll take our stuff and drop it from there,” Andre said. “We’d just like our stuff back, truthfully, it’s four years of hard work of not taking a paycheck to get where we are now.”
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