Father jailed after leaving child in queue
A South Carolina man was arrested for leaving his six-year-old daughter alone in a Target line for a Pokémon card release.
By Beatriz Soto ·
John-Michael Dooley faces criminal charges after police found his six-year-old daughter sleeping alone in a queue outside a Target store in Charleston, South Carolina. The incident occurred on Friday, November 6, during the overnight release of the latest Pokémon Trading Card Game expansion. Dooley had left the line to sleep at home, leaving the child unattended for nearly an hour.
The Charleston Police Department responded to the West Ashley location around 2:30 a.m. after receiving a report of an unsupervised minor. Officers located the girl sleeping on a pillow and blanket placed by her father. Witnesses stated that Dooley had set her up in the line shortly after 1:00 a.m. before walking away. Concerned shoppers who waited for his return called authorities after he had been gone for approximately 60 minutes.
Dooley, 35, of Johns Island, admitted to officers that he left his daughter unsupervised to maintain his position in the line. He was taken into custody upon his return to the store. The department charged him with misconduct toward a minor. The police report did not clarify whether Dooley intended to purchase the cards for himself or for his daughter.
The product at the center of the line was the “Mega Evolution, Delta Reign” expansion. The Japanese franchise, which began as a video game, involves collecting fictional creatures for combat. Individual packs for the game are priced at approximately $5. The release drew a large crowd to the store entrance throughout the night.
The child was unharmed. She was placed under the emergency protective custody of the South Carolina Department of Social Services. Dooley is currently being held at the Al Cannon Detention Center. When contacted by NBC News, he declined to provide specific details about the allegations, citing advice from his attorney. He stated that media coverage of the event had been inaccurate but did not specify the errors.
The arrest highlights the intensity of consumer demand for collectible trading cards. The Pokémon brand has remained a major commercial force for decades. The specific release triggered the overnight gathering that led to the incident.
