Staff pin alleged thief to ground after valuable Pokemon card nabbed
Updated . First published at
A Melbourne shop owner has described how he tackled an accused thief to the ground during an alleged Pokémon card theft.
CCTV footage shows two men enter The Final Boss Collectables in Ravenhall, in Melbourne's west, about 8.30pm yesterday.
Inside the shop, store owner Phillip Dang showed the pair folders of valuable cards, eventually pulling out a sealed Van Gogh Pikachu card worth $1500.
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Inside the shop, the men appeared to be shown a rare Pokemon card by a store attendant, before allegedly stealing it and making a run for it. Supplied
"They were asking like really weird questions that a lot of real collectors probably wouldn't ask," store owner Phillip Dang said.
After failing to distract Dang, one of the men allegedly pinched the card from in front of him, fumbling it momentarily before the pair made a run for it.
"I was like, am I actually getting robbed? Are they really doing this right now?" Dang said.
Dang and several other staff members gave chase and one of the alleged offenders was tackled to the ground by Dang, who apprehended him until police arrived.
"He was just begging me to let him go. He was just saying 'please, I'll never do it again'," Dang said.
The second man managed to flee, police allege.
Police seized a knife from the first man but do not believe it was used during the alleged theft.
"We looked and we saw a machete in his pocket, it had a leather cover over it," Dang said.
"I was staring at it like, that could have gone right through me."
The 23-year-old Tarneit man was charged with theft from a shop and possessing a controlled weapon.
He was bailed to appear before Sunshine Magistrates' Court on July 30.
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One of the alleged offenders was tackled to the ground and apprehended until police arrived, while the other got away. Supplied
Despite scouring the area, police couldn't find the second ma.
They are working to identify him.
The rare Pikachu card remains outstanding.
"In retrospect, I kind of made a mistake with the card I picked to try and bait them out. It was a pretty expensive card," Dang said.
While Dang valued the card at $1500, another identical card is currently sitting at $5000 as part of an online auction.
The store owner says his shop is just the latest to be targeted for the valuable collector's items.
He's been forced to bolster the store's security to protect his staff.
"They didn't come here to be threatened or potentially witness a theft, have to chase someone down, that's not their job, it's not my bloody job but I'll do it," he said.
Anyone who can assist in identifying the man, with footage or with further information is urged to contact Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000 or anonymously atwww.crimestoppersvic.com.au
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