On the early morning of September 9, three armed suspects broke into a residence in Queens, New York, stealing approximately 60 Naruto trading cards with an estimated total value of $12,000. A 30-year-old man sustained facial injuries while attempting to stop them and was subsequently taken to the hospital.
The incident occurred around 4:10 a.m. near the intersection of 101st Street and 101st Avenue in Ozone Park. Three unidentified suspects forcibly opened the balcony door of a residence, entered the house, and stole Naruto trading cards.
When the man inside the house attempted to stop the suspects, one of them allegedly struck him in the face with a weapon. Two other women, aged 60 and 33, were present at the scene; both were reportedly pushed to the ground, and the older woman's phone was also stolen.
During their escape, one suspect allegedly brandished a firearm and fired a shot toward the victims, but no one was hit. The injured man was taken to Jamaica Hospital Medical Center with minor injuries.
The prices of collectible cards have been rising in recent years, leading to frequent theft incidents. Previously, Poke Court store in New York experienced an armed robbery, where the robbers reportedly made off with Pokémon cards worth about $116,000.
In May this year, two men in Tokyo were arrested for allegedly stealing Pokémon cards worth approximately $213,000 from a delivery van. UK police also discovered a batch of suspected stolen Pokémon cards valued at around $330,000 during a property search. As of September 10, no arrests have been made in connection with this burglary in New York.