An independent video game store in Minnesota has been robbed, with a thief making off with cash and an estimated $250,000 worth of collector’s items, including Pokemon cards.
KARE 11 out of Forest Lake, Minnesota reports that the Punch Out Gaming “mom and pop” family business was recently robbed, and the loss of Pokemon cards was particularly devastating (via Kotaku).
The thief is said to have entered the next-door business and then proceeded to gain entry to Punch Out Gaming by breaking through a wall. The heist was recorded on camera, with the thief pictured clearly on video, but as of yet, the criminal apparently has not been caught.
Co-owner Jason Peterson said of the heist and its impact on the business, “I just feel numb, just watching somebody come in and take everything away that you worked so hard to build up over the years.”
Punch Out Gaming has insurance but Peterson said it likely won’t cover all the losses. “This is devastating for us, it’s really going to be hard for us to weather the storm…” Jason Peterson said.
Jason Peterson runs Punch Out Gaming with his twin brother Eric, and he said the store has seen an increased demand for anything related to Pokemon lately. “If it says Pokemon on it, it sells… Pokemon is literally the hottest thing right now,” Eric Johnson told Fox 9.
Nope, this isn’t a scene out of Ocean’s Eleven.
It’s a thief breaking into a Forest Lake gaming store by busting a hole through the wall.
Store owner says $250,000 in Pokémon merchandise was stolen. pic.twitter.com/u67HVaSBFw— Mary McGuire (@mcguirereports) February 12, 2022
Punch Out Gaming has been in business for eight years, and Peterson said the flood of support the business has received from the community since the heist “only makes our devotion stronger.” Peterson said Punch Out Gaming will be back.
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