A South Carolina father allegedly left his 6-year-old daughter sleeping in line outside a Target store in Charleston so he could keep his place overnight while waiting to buy newly released Pokémon cards, police said.
John-Michael Dooley, 35, provided his daughter with a pillow and blanket as he waited with a crowd of other shoppers outside the Target in the West Ashley neighborhood at about 1 a.m. Friday, according to a Charleston Police Department news release.
Dooley, who lives on Johns Island, then left the store and abandoned the child alone in the line, police said.
More than an hour later, concerned shoppers called police at around 2:30 a.m. Officers arrested Dooley after he returned to the store, authorities said.
Dooley told investigators that he had gone home but left his daughter outside Target “so he could maintain his place in line and avoid missing the opportunity to purchase the cards,” according to police.
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He was charged with unlawful conduct toward a child and booked into the Al Cannon Detention Center.
Online court records show that Dooley’s bond was set at $40,000. He is scheduled to return to court on Dec. 12.
The child was not hurt and was placed in emergency protective custody with the South Carolina Department of Social Services, police said.
Several new Pokémon trading card products were released Friday as part of the “Mega Evolution – Delta Reign” and “30th Celebration” collections. Dedicated fans lined up at stores across the country to buy packs, which start at about $5.
