45-year-old man caught hiding in Best Buy overnight to be early Pokemon card release

by

A man from California, age 45, was arrested for hiding inside a Best Buy overnight to get a head start on buying new Pokémon cards. He was caught before the store opened for a special release event.

The popularity of Pokemon cards, which first exploded in the 1990s, continues today, with new and surprising stories appearing all the time.

Pokemon trading cards have become incredibly valuable, with some selling for huge amounts of money – even hundreds of thousands of dollars. As a result, people are going to extreme lengths to obtain these collectibles.

There have been many fights and arguments among fans waiting to get these cards, but one man recently went viral after he bypassed the line and was arrested for it.

Pokemon collector caught hiding in Best Buy after it closed

According to NBC News, police responded to a Best Buy around 1:00 AM on April 29th after employees saw a man inside the store on a security camera feed.

After police arrived at the scene, a staff member helped them enter the building, and they arrested Patrick Keys, 45, for breaking and entering.

Police arrested a man in Pasadena, California after he allegedly hid inside a Best Buy overnight to try and get a Pokémon card drop. Employees saw him on security cameras after 1 AM and called the police. While waiting in line is common, this went too far! #PokeStreetz #BestBuy #PokemonTCG #TCGNews

— PokéStreetz (@POKESTREETZ) April 30, 2026

Many Pokémon fans were camped out at a Best Buy waiting for the new 151 card set to be released, and they were surprised to see a man attempting to grab the cards before anyone else, as they told NBC News.

Someone explained they had stopped by to check out a Pokémon distribution event, but when they stepped away to use the restroom for less than 15 minutes, they returned to find police all over the area.

Although it’s clever to hang out in a store after it closes to look for Pokemon cards, we’ve unfortunately seen many robberies happen at card shops.

In early 2026, burglars stole approximately $180,000 worth of Pokemon cards from a California collectibles shop. They tunneled through a wall to get inside during the night.

Read More

2026-04-30 17:48