Thieves Tunnel Through Wall, Steal $180K Worth Of Pokémon Cards In OC

Surveillance footage captured the incident in Orange County this week.

Published on Feb. 20, 2026

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Thieves broke into a collectibles store in Anaheim, California, by tunneling through a wall from a neighboring business, making off with around $180,000 worth of Pokémon cards. The burglary was captured on surveillance footage, and the store owner was alerted to the incident while at home.

Why it matters

The brazen nature of the crime, with thieves going to such lengths to access the valuable Pokémon card collection, highlights the growing demand and value of rare and collectible trading cards. This incident also raises questions about security measures for businesses housing high-value inventory.

The details

According to the report, the break-in occurred around 3 a.m. on Tuesday morning at DOWE collectibles in Anaheim. The thieves apparently forced their way into a nearby insurance office before using a sledgehammer to smash through the shared drywall and access the collectibles store next door. The store owner, Duy Pham, was alerted to the break-in while at home in Corona and immediately called 911 and rushed to the scene.

  • The break-in happened at around 3 a.m. on Tuesday morning.

The players

DOWE collectibles

A collectibles store in Anaheim, California that was targeted in the burglary.

Duy Pham

The owner of DOWE collectibles who was alerted to the break-in while at home and immediately called 911.

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What they’re saying

“I clicked on the footage and saw guys coming through the hole. My heart was pounding. I called 911 right away and rushed over there.”

— Duy Pham, Store owner (KTLA)

What’s next

Police are investigating the incident and searching for the four suspects involved in the burglary.

The takeaway

This brazen Pokémon card heist highlights the growing value and demand for rare collectible trading cards, as well as the need for businesses housing high-value inventory to review and strengthen their security measures to deter and prevent such targeted break-ins.