ALAMEDA — Every time they hung out, her massive collection of Pokemon cards seemed to get a little smaller.
Then, on Jan. 8, the 73-year-old Alameda woman came up with a ruse, police say. She faked going to the bathroom and rushed back into her room, catching her 52-year-old supposed friend in the act of stealing some of her cards, according to police.
That’s when the woman called authorities. Now the suspect, an Alameda man, is facing two felony charges: grand theft and theft from an elder, court records show. Police estimate he stole 4,000 cards valued at $10,000 to $15,000 and sold most of them online; during a search of his home investigators say they only found about 1,100 of the cards.
The woman said that jewelry was missing from her home and she suspects the man of taking this as well. In a police interview, he allegedly confessed in full to stealing Pokemon cards to make extra money, then police booked him into the jail. He was subsequently released, and the felony case was filed on Jan. 12, records show. He has not yet entered a plea.