Pokémon Card Sale Sparks Violent Brawl at GameStop
Two individuals were apprehended, and a third was injured in a violent altercation that erupted over a line-cutting incident at a Pokémon card sale in Colma, California. The incident occurred at a local GameStop store during a highly anticipated restock of the popular trading cards. The suspects, identified as 49-year-old Miguel OrellanasFlores and 27-year-old Isaiah Calles, allegedly initiated the brawl after attempting to bypass the queue.
The victim, who was wearing a hoodie adorned with Pikachu, the franchise’s unofficial mascot, confronted OrellanasFlores. Despite OrellanasFlores’ attempts to apologize, the situation escalated quickly. The victim attempted to reach OrellanasFlores, but instead ended up striking Calles. This led to a physical altercation, with OrellanasFlores and Calles allegedly attacking the victim.
The brawl continued, with the three men exchanging blows. At one point, OrellanasFlores reportedly used a mason jar to strike the victim on the head. Calles is then alleged to have used a shard from the broken jar to stab the victim multiple times. Despite the severity of his injuries, the victim was able to photograph the suspects’ vehicles, including their license plates, which aided in their subsequent arrest.
Both OrellanasFlores and Calles were apprehended and charged with assault with a deadly weapon, assault causing great bodily injury, battery with serious bodily injury, and conspiracy to commit a crime, according to the Colma Police Department.
The popularity and high resale value of Pokémon cards have led to a surge in incidents of this nature. The cards, particularly those classified as “special illustration rare” and “hyper rare,” can fetch significant prices online. The value of these cards is often determined by professional sports authenticators, or PSA, with cards rated PSA 10 potentially worth thousands of dollars.
This incident is not an isolated one. In May, two individuals armed with hammers stole thousands of dollars worth of collectible cards in Detroit. Earlier in January, a restock at a Los Angeles Costco resulted in a violent scramble as shoppers vied to secure the coveted cards.
