Following a series of burglaries targeting collectible card shops across various LA locations, the Burbank Police Department has made arrests in connection with a heist at a Burbank sports card store. The incident unfolded on December 2, as four men allegedly made away with an estate of $100,000 worth of rare trading cards and collectibles from LA Sports Cards. According to a report by NBC Los Angeles, the suspects were able to access the shop in the dark small hours, around 2 a.m., and thoroughly disrupt the peace inside.
Surveillance footage and detective work led to the identification of the suspects implicated in this crime. Brian Chavez and Jeremy Lopez, both 22, from Los Angeles, have joined Marco Barrongil, 26, from North Hollywood, and Elijah Garcia, 27, from Compton, in custody over the charges. The Burbank Police statement made note that the thieves seemed to exactly know what to look for—starting with Pokémon cards—and where to locate it. "They started with the Pokémon side," LA Sports Card owner Kit Nguyen was quoted in an interview with NBC Los Angeles.
Detectives pursued the case diligently, serving search warrants on December 18 and January 8 at four locations tied to the suspects. The operation turned up evidence linking the individuals to the burglary. The Burbank PD news release confirmed the arrests and booking of all four men on burglary charges, with the Los Angeles County District Attorney's Office pending formal charges.
The series of thefts has shed light on the high-value market surrounding collectibles. In plenty of instances, thefts from collectible card stores involve products like rare sports cards, and in this case, the Pokémon trading card products stood out as the most popular and targeted items. As the law enforcement agencies continue to investigate other heists in Glendale, West Los Angeles, and Simi Valley, the recent arrests bring forth a crucial step in addressing the spree of burglaries that has troubled card store owners.
