A South Carolina father was arrested after allegedly leaving his 6-year-old daughter sleeping alone outside a Target store in the middle of the night so he wouldn’t lose his place in line for a highly anticipated Pokémon trading card release.
John-Michael Dooley, 35, of Johns Island, is accused of giving his little girl a pillow and blanket before abandoning her outside the Charleston retailer for approximately an hour while he returned home.
The disturbing incident unfolded early Friday, November 6, at a Target in Charleston’s West Ashley neighborhood, where eager collectors had gathered overnight hoping to purchase a newly released set of Pokémon cards.
According to Charleston police, Dooley initially waited in line with his daughter before deciding to leave sometime after 1 a.m.
Instead of taking the child home with him, investigators say he left her sleeping outside the store, apparently expecting her to hold his place until he returned.
As the minutes passed and the girl’s father failed to reappear, other customers began growing concerned.
After approximately an hour, witnesses contacted authorities to report that a young child had been left unattended outside the closed store.
Officers arrived around 2:30 a.m. and discovered the girl still waiting without her father.
When Dooley eventually returned, concerned shoppers pointed him out to police, who immediately took him into custody.
During questioning, Dooley allegedly admitted that he had gone home and left his daughter behind because he didn’t want to lose his opportunity to purchase the Pokémon cards.
The explanation did little to help his situation.
Dooley was arrested and charged with unlawful conduct toward a child, a criminal offense that can carry serious penalties under South Carolina law.
Fortunately, police confirmed that the little girl had not been physically injured.
However, because she had been left alone in the early morning hours, authorities placed her in emergency protective custody with the South Carolina Department of Social Services.
The incident occurred during the release of a new Pokémon trading card collection, which had attracted collectors hoping to secure products before they sold out.
Pokémon cards have experienced a resurgence in popularity in recent years, with rare cards sometimes commanding extraordinary prices among collectors. New releases can attract long lines, particularly when supplies are limited.
But what began as an overnight shopping trip ended with a father behind bars and his young daughter in protective custody.
Dooley was booked into the Al Cannon Detention Center, and a judge set his bond at $40,000.
He has since been released from custody, according to information provided by Charleston police to ABC News.
Court records list an initial hearing for December 18. It remains unclear whether Dooley has retained an attorney or entered a plea.
Target confirmed that the store was closed when the incident occurred and said the company would cooperate with the police investigation.
Authorities have not publicly disclosed whether the girl has since been reunited with relatives or what additional steps social services may take.
For the customers who noticed the sleeping child and called police, an ordinary wait for collectible trading cards turned into a troubling discovery that left a father facing criminal charges.
The case remains pending, and Dooley is presumed innocent unless proven guilty.
