IRVINE, Calif. — A Costa Mesa man has been arrested after being linked to the theft of approximately $45,000 worth of Pokémon and collectible anime cards.
The Irvine Police Department reported that the victim contacted authorities after the valuable cards were stolen from a vehicle on Stizza Avenue.
“Pikachu was definitely not happy that his friends were taken,” the department wrote in a tongue-in-cheek social media post. Investigators said they found “a clue hotter than Charizard” when they discovered that the stolen cards were being sold online.
Detectives quickly identified the suspect as 53-year-old Paul David Hastings of Costa Mesa.
Police released bodycam footage of Hastings’ arrest, in which an officer joked, “Do you have any Pokémon cards?” Hastings replied, “No,” prompting the officer to respond, “Dang, I was hoping to catch them all.”
While specific booking details were not released, Irvine PD noted Hastings was “captured faster than you could throw a Poké Ball.”
The case remains under investigation.
