Man arrested & dragged from convention for allegedly stealing Pokemon cards

A man was arrested and carried out of a convention center for allegedly stealing Pokemon cards and other collectibles.

The incident is reported to have taken place at a card show in Pasadena, Los Angeles, by multiple attendees who recorded the man’s arrest and subsequent removal from the venue.

In a video posted on the Pokemon TCG subreddit, police officers were recorded approaching the man, suspected of stealing cards from vendors at the convention.

Resisting arrest, one officer conveyed something ineligible to the suspect, to which they replied, “I did not take it. No, no, excuse me, one second, sir.” After continuing to resist arrest, officers pulled the man to the ground in an attempt to handcuff him.

In another recording of the incident posted on Facebook by Poke Streetz, one of the arresting officers is seen going through a bag belonging to the man with a vendor, removing numerous cards and other items.

At the same time, several additional police officers picked the suspect up by his arms and legs and carried him out of the main hall. Applause from attendees erupted as the man was escorted from the premises.

Hot property

Pokemon cards have become an increasingly popular target of thieves, largely due to a surge in the hobby’s popularity.

In addition to many individual cards easily fetching thousands of dollars when graded by companies such as PSA and Beckett, sealed product scarcity, even for new releases, has driven retail prices up.

In 2025 alone, numerous reports of thieves stealing Pokemon cards from stores have circulated, with one business affected, run by a family, stating they were “heartbroken” after cards worth a total of $100k were swiped from their store.