Florida chainsaw thief steals $12K in Pokémon cards amid crime wave
From Lake Park to Burbank to Tempe, shops across the country are getting hit as Pokémon card values keep climbing.
A Florida man is facing felony charges after allegedly using a battery-powered chainsaw to cut through a hurricane-proof window and steal $12,000 worth of Pokémon cards from a collectibles store. It is the latest in what appears to be a growing rash of targeted thefts plaguing Pokémon card shops and collectors across the country.
The incident, which occurred overnight on May 20 and 21, 2026, at Collection Realm in Lake Park, Florida, is just one of several high-profile break-ins reported in recent months. From sledgehammer smash-and-grabs in Arizona to multi-thousand-dollar hauls in California and the Carolinas, thieves are increasingly zeroing in on Pokémon cards as high-value, easily portable targets.
Watch some of the thieves in action in the video player below.
The chainsaw burglary in Florida
According to Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office reports, 33-year-old Clayton Andrew Warren of West Palm Beach first tried to smash the store’s hurricane-proof front window with a rock on May 19. When that failed, he returned overnight on May 20 and 21 armed with a battery-powered chainsaw. Surveillance footage captured him cutting a triangular hole in the glass, entering the store, and grabbing sleeved cards and bulk product before fleeing.
Warren left behind blood evidence after cutting himself during the break-in. According to the affidavit, surveillance also showed a man matching Warren’s appearance shopping at the store on May 19 for several hours, and Warren was identifiable through the store’s customer database.
Investigators used a license plate reader to track a white Jeep Grand Cherokee seen near the business and executed a search warrant at Warren’s West Palm Beach residence, where they sought stolen trading cards, the chainsaw, and clothing matching the surveillance footage.
Warren was arrested and charged with burglary causing more than $1,000 in damage and grand theft involving property valued between $10,000 and $20,000, a third-degree felony in Florida that can carry up to five years in prison.
Collection Realm, which operates at 800 10th Street in Lake Park and specializes in Pokémon, One Piece, and other trading cards, posted on Instagram afterward saying, “Luckily no one was around, and everyone is safe, but having good security and sticking together is more important now than ever.”
A nationwide pattern of Pokémon card thefts
The Florida chainsaw incident is far from isolated. Law enforcement and shop owners have reported a clear uptick in targeted Pokémon-related crimes in recent months.
In Saginaw Township, Michigan, thieves broke into Curveball Collectibles early on Memorial Day 2026 and made off with several high-end raw and graded Pokémon cards. Curveball is publishing serial numbers of stolen cards online to help the community track them down.
In Tempe, Arizona, a suspect used a sledgehammer to smash through the glass door of Bussin’ or Bustin’ Trading Card Lounge earlier this month, stealing approximately $7,000 in Pokémon product. Owner Phi Cao told FOX 10 Phoenix that other card shop owners had warned him about the risk before he opened a few months ago.
“An inside joke that some other card shop owners have had with me is that it’s not a if, but when, because stuff like this does happen, especially with how hot Pokémon is right now,” Cao said.
In Burbank, California, burglars hit LA Sports Cards on December 2, 2025, broke in through the front door with a crowbar, used power tools to bypass a bolted metal gate, and made off with over $100,000 in Pokémon cards, sports cards, and other collectibles. The haul included a one-of-ten Cristiano Ronaldo card alone valued at roughly $100,000. Burbank police arrested four suspects in January 2026: Brian Chavez, Jeremy Lopez, Marco Barrongil, and Elijah Garcia. Store owner Kit Nguyen said the thieves clearly knew what they were looking for.
“They started with the Pokémon side,” Nguyen told NBC4. “It was Pokémon. It wasn’t ‘One Piece,’ it wasn’t Disney, it wasn’t Magic, it was Pokémon.”
In Cary, North Carolina, two people broke into a trading card store at a shopping center earlier in May 2026 and stole more than $45,000 worth of Pokémon and Magic: The Gathering cards. Both suspects were arrested. The Triangle area saw three collectible store break-ins in October 2025 alone, all targeting Pokémon cards.
A Phoenix-area card shop was reportedly hit twice in the last six months with no arrests made. The crime trend has also made international headlines, with similar incidents reported in the UK, Canada, and Australia.
The current wave builds on earlier high-profile cases. In 2023, suspects in Forest Lake, Minnesota cut through a wall to steal roughly $250,000 in Pokémon packs.
Why Pokémon cards have become prime targets
The surge in thefts tracks directly with the explosive growth in Pokémon card values since the pandemic. Rare cards and sealed product have become liquid assets that are small, portable, and easy to resell anonymously online through platforms like eBay or private Facebook groups. A single high-end card or sealed box can fetch thousands, sometimes tens of thousands of dollars, with minimal traceability once it leaves the store.
The market has seen massive appreciation. Some sealed sets have increased in value by hundreds or even thousands of percent in recent years, driven by nostalgia, collector demand, and the 30th anniversary hype surrounding the franchise.
Phi Cao explained the underlying economics to FOX 10 Phoenix. “We’re talking about single slabs that are worth tens of thousands of dollars. We’re talking about cash that people have in the hundreds of thousands of dollars that they carry on them.”
Shops often lack advanced security systems because they traditionally catered to a hobbyist crowd rather than high-value retail. Thieves have taken advantage, leading to smash-and-grab burglaries that take just minutes.
The broader impact on shops and collectors
Small businesses are bearing the brunt. Many report skyrocketing insurance premiums, or policies that no longer cover high-value collectibles. Some owners have installed reinforced glass, cameras, and even hired private security, while others have simply reduced inventory or closed their doors.
The crime wave is also affecting collectors directly. Home burglaries targeting sealed product have increased, and some victims have lost significant savings or family heirlooms. While law enforcement is investigating these cases, the decentralized nature of the secondary market makes recovery difficult. Stolen cards often disappear into the gray market before owners can even file reports.
The bottom line
The chainsaw-wielding theft in Florida is the latest headline-grabbing example of a troubling trend. Pokémon cards, once viewed as harmless childhood collectibles, have become big business, and that has attracted criminals looking for quick, high-value scores.
As long as card values remain elevated and security lags behind, shops and collectors will continue to be vulnerable. The hobby that brought joy to millions is now forcing many to confront a harsher reality. In 2026, even Pokémon cards can be a target for crime.
Article compiled and edited by Derek Gibbs (entertainment editor) and the Clownfish TV newsroom.
D/REZZED is part of Clownfish TV. For more news, views, and rants on gaming and tech, visit clownfishtv.com. Watch the show on YouTube at @ClownfishTV where new episodes drop daily. Subscribe to the Clownfish TV podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, iHeart, and wherever else you get your podcasts. Sign up for the free newsletter at more.clownfishtv.com.
Hat Tips:
CBS12, WPTV, Kotaku, and Dexerto, reporting on the Clayton Warren chainsaw burglary at Collection Realm in Lake Park, Florida
Hoodline and Gamer Rant, additional details on the Florida case and Warren’s arrest
FOX 10 Phoenix and Arizona’s Family, coverage of the Tempe smash-and-grab at Bussin’ or Bustin’ Trading Card Lounge
WILX and ABC12, reporting on the Curveball Collectibles burglary in Saginaw Township
CBS Los Angeles and NBC4 Los Angeles, coverage of the LA Sports Cards Burbank burglary and the January 2026 arrests
WRAL, coverage of the Cary, North Carolina trading card store burglary
Star Tribune, historical coverage of the 2023 Forest Lake, Minnesota Pokémon card heist