Houston Crime: Sledgehammer Thieves Take $10K in Pokémon Merchandise From MadRat Toys
- It took six swings of a sledgehammer to get through the front window of MadRat Toys, a trading card shop in west Houston.
- The shop told FOX 26 it lost about $10,000 in merchandise and suffered roughly another $10,000 in damage to the building and display cases.
- According to store management and security footage described by FOX 26, it happened at around 2:20 a.m.
It took six swings of a sledgehammer to get through the front window of MadRat Toys, a trading card shop in west Houston. In about two minutes, the thieves were in and out with Pokémon products, graded cards and singles, FOX 26 Houston reported on September 17.
The shop told FOX 26 it lost about $10,000 in merchandise and suffered roughly another $10,000 in damage to the building and display cases. Speaking to ABC13 the next day, co-owner Sam Pacheco gave a range for the stock loss, between $10,000 and $15,000, plus approximately $10,000 in damage to the window and display cases.
What the cameras caught
According to store management and security footage described by FOX 26, it happened at around 2:20 a.m. Neither FOX 26 nor ABC13 gave the date. ABC13, reporting on September 18, said only that it happened that week.
Four people arrived in a getaway vehicle. One waited in it. The other three went in.
“We saw them break in, six times hitting the window with a sledgehammer,” Alex Vu, the shop’s operation and social marketing manager, told FOX 26. “One stayed in the getaway car, and then three of them came through the window after they smashed it.”
Once inside, they shattered three glass display cases, FOX 26 reported. ABC13 said the surveillance video shows them stuffing cards into trash bags.
FOX 26 said the haul included Elite Trainer Boxes and products from recent Pokémon TCG sets such as Perfect Order, Chaos Rising and Pitch Black. So did graded PSA slabs, which are cards that have been authenticated, graded and sealed in hard plastic cases, along with single cards from the display shelves.
Police reported two suspects caught; charges unconfirmed
The first reports didn’t quite match. FOX 26’s September 17 story opened by saying Houston police had arrested two suspects. Later in the same story, it said police had confirmed two suspects were “detained” and were still looking for the other two.
ABC13 had more the next day. Houston police told the station officers had caught two of the suspects nearby, but they “are not charged in the burglary yet.” Police said the search for the others, and the investigation, were still going. Neither station named the people who were caught.
FOX 26 asked anyone with information to contact the Houston Police Department or Crime Stoppers of Houston at 713-222-TIPS (8477).
A place to play
FOX 26 called MadRat Toys a local gathering hub for trading card players. The shop runs regular events for Pokémon, Magic: The Gathering, Yu-Gi-Oh! and One Piece.
“It’s all about the community — just having a good time, making sure they’re okay, and having a safe space,” Vu said.
Pacheco was blunter with ABC13. “It’s getting out of control, it’s just a lot,” he said. He told the station the shop would be stepping up its security.
ABC13’s report also covered a separate break-in on Sunday at Nakama Collectibles in Cypress. Law enforcement said two men used a brick to break the door there and took cards. ABC13 did not report any link between the two cases.
Open questions
The FOX 26 and ABC13 reports don’t give the date of the burglary. They don’t say whether anyone has been charged since September 18, or whether any of the stolen merchandise has been recovered. They also don’t say whether the repairs have affected the shop’s hours or its game nights.
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