The line outside a West Ashley Target in Charleston, South Carolina, started forming overnight, the way lines do when a new Pokémon trading card set is about to hit the shelves. Somewhere after 1 a.m., according to witnesses cited by police, a father tucked a pillow and blanket around his 6-year-old daughter, left her asleep in that line, and went home.
By about 2:30 a.m. on Friday, Nov. 6, Charleston police were on the scene after customers reported an unattended child. The 35-year-old Johns Island man has been charged with unlawful conduct toward a child. A charge is an allegation, not a finding of guilt, and the details below come from police statements as reported by local and national outlets.
What Customers Saw in the Line That Night
Customers had gathered outside the store overnight for the release, the kind of scene that plays out as toy aisles fill up ahead of the holidays. Kotaku, citing Live 5 WCSC, reported that the set was a Pokémon TCG throwback collection released that day. For plenty of families, the collecting rituals of childhood have simply moved from the schoolyard to the store parking lot.
Live 5 WCSC and ABC News both report that about an hour passed with the girl alone and the man not back. Concerned customers then contacted police, which is how officers came to be standing outside a closed Target in the middle of the night.
Why Card Releases Keep Turning Into Family Dilemmas
The cards are mostly a vehicle for trading, swapping and playing a few rounds at the kitchen table, none of which depends on being first in line. That kind of free play is the real prize, and the family movie night that follows it costs nothing at all.
Kotaku notes that Pokémon card releases have been tied to a long list of headaches, from scalper-driven chaos and fights in stores to fans missing out altogether. Standing in line for hours has become one of those odd American traditions, and the cards are small while the stakes can feel enormous to the people standing in it.
A child asks for one specific thing, the supply is limited and the clock is ticking. That pressure is familiar to many parents, which is part of why the story traveled, and it sits a long way from the calm of a post about devoted parents. Older readers may think of the latchkey kids of an earlier era, but a 6-year-old asleep outdoors overnight is a very different picture. Even the best-intentioned shortcut can turn into one of the regrets people carry into adulthood.
The Charge and What Police Say the Father Told Detectives
When the man returned, witnesses pointed him out to officers and he was arrested, according to ABC News and ABC News 4 in Charleston. The charge is unlawful conduct toward a child.
In an interview with detectives, the outlets report, he said he had gone home and left his daughter unattended so he could keep his place in line and not miss his chance to buy the cards. The reports give no bond amount or court date, and the case is still moving through the system.
The girl was unharmed. She was placed in emergency protective custody with the South Carolina Department of Social Services, according to the police account.
Ways Families Can Handle the Next Big Release
A Target spokesperson told ABC News on background that the store was closed at the time of the incident and that the company would cooperate with law enforcement.
Retailers also offer options that spare families the overnight vigil. Online orders, in-store pickup, purchase limits and daytime drops are the usual ways stores cut down on the camp-out. A parent who wants a rare set can also take turns with another adult or bring the child along awake and supervised.
The Charleston case is still open, and more details may emerge as it proceeds. For now, the reports from Live 5 WCSC, ABC News 4 and ABC News agree: a child was found unharmed, a father was charged, and a set of trading cards made for a very long night in a Target line.
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This article was produced with AI assistance and edited for accuracy against the sources linked above.
Image: MIKI Yoshihito – CC BY 2.0/Wikimedia Commons
