Burglars gain entrance to card shop by driving truck through the door, steal thousands worth of Pokémon cards in Washington State

At about 12:20 a.m. on Friday, October 27th, two unidentified suspects backed a red Ford pickup truck through the side door of Gabi’s Olympic Cards and Comics in Lacey, Washington. With the door completely removed from the hinges, the two thieves entered the store and stole approximately $10,000 worth of merchandise, including eight to ten cases (containing six booster boxes each) of Pokémon cards, according to owner Gabi Shepard. Shepard, who helped construct the store, says she remembers putting up the pillar that the pickup truck destroyed. “I know the building is just a thing, but it's still a thing that, you know, has been a part of my life for almost 20 years.” said Shepard.

While the break-in caused an estimated $20,000 worth of damage, Shepard considers it “good karma” that the pillar prevented the truck from going fully through the building and causing more destruction. Shepard, who collects food and supplies for those experiencing homelessness through a program called Gabi’s Kids and lets people camp in her parking lot, does not believe any of them to be the perpetrators. The Lacey Police Department believes two men seen on surveillance footage inside Gabi’s Olympic Cards and Comics on Thursday, October 26th could be the suspects, after they asked Shepard questions about the value of Pokémon cards.

This is not the first time Shepard’s store has been targeted for Pokémon cards specifically; in October of 2021, the back doors were smashed open and thousands of dollars worth of cards stolen. This story is, unfortunately, another example of the rampant, and sometimes violent, incidents of Pokémon card theft just this year. “Maybe balance the scales and put some good energy out into the world to help other people,” says Shepard, when community members asked how they could help. “That’s what makes me feel better, if there’s a way to take some good out of this bad situation.” Lacey police continue to investigate and seek information regarding the suspects.