Weather 
BURBANK, Calif. () — Police are investigating a burglary at a trading card and collectibles store in Burbank, where more than $100,000 in merchandise was stolen.
It happened just before 1:30 a.m. on Tuesday, Dec. 2, at LA Sports Cards in the 1900 block of W. Olive Avenue.
“I felt devastated; violated,” said Kiet Nguyen, the store owner. “This feels like our house, and for the team, it’s like their home, too. So, it felt like that level of violation.”
Despite the robbery happening at a sports cards store, Nguyen says it appears the thieves were mainly going after Pokémon products.
Store surveillance video shows the thieves exiting a vehicle in front of the store at approximately 1:22 a.m.
One thief used a crowbar to pry open the front door, while another thief used tools to cut through the front scissor gate. Within a minute, they were inside.
Cameras inside the store show two thieves scooping large amounts of trading cards into a bag, while a third thief entered a back room to remove a safe.
The thieves then knocked over one of the front display cabinets and stole as much from inside that they could.
In total, the thieves were only on the property for about four minutes.
“They targeted Pokémon (products) primarily,” said Nguyen. “They went for the sealed products, not really for the cards in the showcase, which are serialized and can be traceable. They went for the easy-to-move stuff it seems like.”
Burbank police confirmed they’re investigating the burglary as a high-value theft, but had no specific estimates on how much was stolen. Nguyen tells Eyewitness News that he estimates the theft was well into the six-figure range.
Nguyen said he was stunned by how easily the thieves cut through the scissor gate. He says he hopes other store owners take note of that fact. He says they’ll be updating their store security, but it certainly puts a damper on the holidays.
“It’s devastating at this time,” said Nguyen. “It’s definitely something that we’re going to work through and push through. We don’t want this to happen to other stores. We’re going to stay vigilant and stay strong. We’ll get these guys.”
© 2025 Television,
