Boy Charged in Pokemon Robbery

Orange County prosecutors filed robbery charges Thursday against a 13-year-old Huntington Beach boy who allegedly ran over a classmate with his bike in order to steal a collection of 150 Pokemon cards.

Authorities declined to identify the suspected Pokemon predator because he is a juvenile but described him as 4 feet, 10 inches tall and weighing less than 100 pounds. He faces a maximum of five years in juvenile detention if he is convicted of stealing the collection, valued at $150.

“We charged him with robbery in this case because it appears to be somewhat of a violent crime and the taking of someone else’s property by force,” said district attorney’s office spokeswoman Tori Richards.

The incident occurred Oct. 14 when the suspect and victim bumped into each other after school, officials said. The boys, who recognized each other from Vista View Middle School in Fountain Valley, stopped to chat briefly about the Pokemon collection and then parted.

The suspect, who was riding a bicycle, made a sudden U-turn and pedaled furiously back toward the card collector, striking him from behind and knocking him to the ground, Richards said. The 13-year-old victim was unhurt but dazed enough to allow the alleged mugger to flee with his prized cards, she added.

The next day, the suspect was identified with the help of school officials and was arrested. The cards were recovered from the suspect’s home, and authorities released the boy into the custody of his grandmother, Richards said. An arraignment has been scheduled for Dec. 22.

The Pokemon fad took hold in the United States last year, when a Japanese TV cartoon and video game evolved into a multibillion-dollar industry. Pokemon’s 151 characters--bearing names such as Charizard, Wigglytuff and Bellsprout--created a market for a series of trading cards.

The cards come in packs of 11, costing $3 to $11. But fueled by the relentless playground demand, a secondhand market has sprung up, raising black-market prices for the most sought-after characters beyond $100.

School principals from California to Connecticut have banned the cards from campuses, contending that they disrupt learning, ignite playground brawls and turn kids to crime. Last month, two eighth-graders from Rancho Palos Verdes were arrested when detectives discovered 171 stolen Pokemon cards at their homes.