CLINTON TOWNSHIP, Mich. (WYXZ) — A thief broke into a Clinton Township collectibles shop early Tuesday morning, making off with nearly $5,000 worth of Pokémon cards in the latest of several similar heists across metro Detroit.
Watch Randy Wimbley's video report:
Surveillance video captured the suspect arriving on a bicycle at Greenlight Cards and Collectibles just before 4:30 a.m. Tuesday. The thief smashed through the front door and headed straight for a showcase containing valuable cards.
"He broke right in through the front door, less than 60 seconds, he ran straight over to our big showcase," said Billy Petts from Greenlight Cards and Collectibles. "My heart sank, like, immediately."
The burglary is part of a growing trend of trading card thefts in the area. Similar break-ins occurred at RIW Hobbies and Gaming in Livonia and Eternal Games in Warren in May, followed by a July heist at First Edition Finds in Sterling Heights, where thieves stole $50,000 worth of Pokémon cards.
PREVIOUS STORY: $50,000 worth of Pokemon cards stolen from family-owned hobby shop
Petts explained that these collectibles hold both monetary and sentimental value.
"This is a hobby, it's more than just about the money, but obviously to these thieves they see that opportunity and to them it's about the money," Petts said. "Anything collectible it's become a big commodity for people to tap into their childhood again and be able to share those memories and experiences with their kids today too."
Following earlier break-ins at other stores, Greenlight had enhanced security measures, including moving valuable items to secure locations after hours and installing a motion detector and alarm system. The alarm appeared to startle the thief during Tuesday's burglary.
"Yeah, it spooked him, and I think he just kinda panicked, and he grabbed what he thought in the moment and just ran out," Petts said.
Clinton Township police responded within minutes of the break-in and are now investigating the case. Petts believes the thief may attempt to sell the stolen cards through local shops or online marketplaces.
"The biggest part we need right now to prevent this is if you notice any high-dollar Pokémon cards that are on Facebook Marketplace or going up online at a suspicious low rate... if you notice something, speak up," Petts said.
Anyone with information about the break-in is asked to contact Clinton Township Police.
—————————————
This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
