CHARLESTON, SC — A South Carolina man was arrested Friday after police say he left his 6-year-old daughter asleep alone in a line outside a Charleston Target so he could keep his place for a new Pokémon card release.
The Charleston Police Department said officers were called to the store in the West Ashley area around 2:30 a.m. after someone reported an unattended child. When they arrived, they found the girl by herself. Police identified the father as 35-year-old John-Michael Dooley of Johns Island.
Authorities said the child was safe and later placed in emergency protective custody with the South Carolina Department of Social Services.
Police say customers noticed the child had been left behind
According to Charleston police, the store parking lot had drawn a crowd overnight because of the debut of a new Pokémon Trading Card Game set. Customers were waiting for the Friday release, and the line had formed well before sunrise.
Witnesses told officers that Dooley gave his daughter a pillow and blanket before stepping away sometime after 1 a.m. Police said concern grew when he did not return for roughly an hour, prompting other customers to call authorities.
The child was still asleep when officers reached the scene. Police said she was not hurt.
A new Pokémon set drew overnight demand at the Charleston store
The release involved the latest expansion for the long-running Pokémon Trading Card Game, titled Mega Evolution — Delta Reign. The set went on sale Friday, and customers lined up early to try to get cards from the popular franchise.
Pokémon began as a Japanese video game series and has grown into a global brand built around fictional creatures that players collect, train and battle. The trading cards have remained a major part of that popularity for decades.
Police said card packs started at about $5, which helps explain why the release drew attention from shoppers willing to wait in line overnight.
Dooley was arrested after returning to the store, police said
Police said Dooley came back to the Target after leaving the child unattended. Witnesses recognized him, and officers arrested him at the scene.
According to the department, Dooley admitted that he had gone home and left his daughter behind so he could keep his place in line. Police have not said how long the child was alone before the first call came in, beyond witness accounts that she was left there for about an hour.
The department said Dooley was charged with unlawful conduct toward a child.
Child welfare officials took custody after officers intervened
After police made contact with the girl, she was turned over to emergency protective custody with the South Carolina Department of Social Services. Officers said the child was unharmed.
Dooley was booked into the Al Cannon Detention Center, according to police. He could not immediately be reached for comment.
The arrest turned a routine retail release into a criminal case, with police emphasizing that the child had been left alone while adults gathered for the card drop.
The case highlights the intensity around trading card releases
The incident reflects how major collectible launches can draw long lines and early arrivals, especially when a new set lands at a popular chain store. In this case, the overnight wait became a police matter after a young child was found unattended outside the entrance.
Charleston police have not released any further details about whether Dooley was buying cards for himself or for his daughter. They also did not say whether any other charges are possible.
For now, the department says the child is safe and the criminal case against her father is moving forward after the early-morning call to the West Ashley Target.
