Two men were arrested early Tuesday after police say they broke into Cantu Collectibles in Webster and made off with nearly $9,000 in Pokémon cards before leading officers on a 31 mile chase into southwest Houston. The suspects, identified in court as Nara Ouch and Ray Stidham, were taken into custody at the end of the pursuit. Both were booked on burglary charges, and Ouch also faces a charge of evading arrest.
Surveillance video from inside the shop shows two men spending about two minutes in the store, grabbing binders and sealed product and then bolting, according to ABC13 Houston. Officers later intercepted the vehicle and arrested Ouch and Stidham after the chase. Store owner Ramon Cantu said officers brought back the haul and that the pair seemed to be hunting specifically for graded cards rather than random packs.
Shop listed as a new Webster storefront
Cantu Collectibles sits at 17054 State Highway 3 in Park Plaza and is listed by the city as a new local business. Economic development materials note the shop is co owned by Webster Police Officer Ramon Cantu and describe it as a community hub that hosts card tournaments and a regular Clear Lake card show, underscoring why the burglary rippled through the local collecting crowd, according to the City of Webster.
“We've had product come in that is vintage product that is $20,000 or $30,000,” Cantu said, explaining that high value graded cards have serial numbers and can be flagged if stolen. He told ABC13 Houston the suspects were asking, “Where's the slabs?” while they rummaged through display cases.
Police pursuit and court appearance
Webster officers said the pursuit covered roughly 31 miles before it ended in southwest Houston, where Ouch and Stidham were arrested and charged with burglary. Ouch was additionally charged with evading arrest. At an initial court hearing, a judge noted that individual Pokémon cards can fetch several thousand dollars, and detectives with the Harris County Sheriff's Office are reviewing whether the two men are tied to at least two other high end store thefts.
A national spike in collectible thefts
The Webster case mirrors a broader wave of smash and grab and targeted burglaries at card shops across the country this year, as graded and vintage Pokémon cards have turned into a lucrative resale market. Similar lightning fast raids in California and New York have seen thieves grab thousands of dollars in inventory in minutes, according to reporting by ABC News and the Los Angeles Times.
Legal notes
Both defendants currently face burglary charges out of Webster, and one is accused of evading arrest after the traffic stop turned into a prolonged chase. Prosecutors and the courts will decide the next steps as detectives continue to investigate possible connections to other local thefts.
Cantu said he hopes would be thieves realize the payoff is not worth the risk and added that while the community is shaken, regulars are relieved that most of the stolen inventory is back in the display cases. Detectives are asking anyone with information about other card shop break ins to contact law enforcement as the investigation continues.
