He wanted rare Pokémon cards so badly he used a chainsaw to get them
A Florida man used a power tool to break through a strong glass window and steal $12,000 worth of cards.
Some hobbies turn into deep obsessions that ruin lives. When a childhood game becomes a high-stakes hunt for cash, some people will destroy everything to get a piece of it.
WHAT HAPPENED
On May 21, a man targeted a local shop called Collection Realm in Lake Park, Florida. Police say Clayton Warren, 33, wanted high-value Pokémon cards.
First, he tried to smash the thick, hurricane-proof window with a rock, but it did not work. He only managed to cut himself and leave blood at the scene.
He then came back with a battery-powered chainsaw. He cut a hole in the glass, grabbed $12,000 worth of cards, and fled in his mother's SUV. Police caught him after his mother's car was spotted on traffic cameras.
What the evidence shows
- The suspect stole $12,000 worth of Pokémon cards.
- He left blood on the window after a failed attempt with a rock.
- Security cameras filmed him driving away in his mother's SUV.
- License plate readers tracked the SUV to a home in West Palm Beach.
- The suspect had visited the same shop just two days before the crime.
THE BIGGER QUESTION
Why are children's trading cards driving grown adults to commit serious crimes? We need to look at how a simple game turned into a wild, uncontrolled market that tempts people to ruin their lives for cardboard.
THE OTHER SIDE
Warren has not yet given a public statement about the charges. His defense will likely focus on whether the blood at the scene and the SUV on camera are enough to prove he was the actual person holding the chainsaw. Given the physical evidence and the plate readers, this will be a very hard case for his lawyers to fight.
WHAT HAPPENS NOW
Small business owners must now pay more for heavy security to protect paper cards. These break-ins drive up insurance costs for local shops, which means higher prices for real fans and kids.
WHAT WE STILL DON'T KNOW
Where are the stolen cards now?
- Did his mother know he took her car to commit a crime?
- Was he trying to sell the cards quickly, or keep them for himself?
Transparency notes
Published: May 26, 2026. No major post-publication update has been logged.
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Sources
External source links were not provided in this article body. Our editors reference publicly available materials and update stories as new verified information arrives.