ST. AUGUSTINE, FL — A man once jailed for armed bank robbery has again landed in trouble with the law—this time for a bizarre burglary attempt involving Pokémon cards, counterfeit money, and his 3-year-old daughter.
Chance Bennett, 34, of Yulee, was arrested on July 7 for an attempted break-in at Davoli House of Cards on County Road 210. According to the St. Johns County Sheriff’s Office, the incident took place in the early hours of June 24.
Surveillance footage shows Bennett pulling up to the shop around 1:30 a.m. in a red Subaru Tribeca. After briefly leaving, he returned dressed in dark clothes, a hat, and bandanas to conceal his face. Before attempting the burglary, his toddler—clad in pink pajamas—was seen walking outside the car. He placed her back inside, then hurled a brick through the window, triggering the store’s alarm before fleeing.
Investigators used license plate readers to tie the vehicle to Bennett. Around the same time, a Circle K clerk reported a man matching Bennett’s description trying to buy lottery tickets using a counterfeit $100 bill.
During the July 7 traffic stop, Bennett resisted arrest, yelling, “I know my rights!” before being subdued. Inside his car, deputies found Pokémon cards, a hammer, bandanas, and lottery tickets, all linking him to the attempted break-in.
Bennett initially denied the crime, blaming someone “in the woods” for the vandalism. But he later confessed to throwing the brick.
Records show Bennett was also suspected in a Duval County case involving the purchase of $700 worth of Pokémon cards using fake money.
He now faces multiple charges including:
Burglary across county lines
Criminal mischief
Petit theft
Passing counterfeit currency
Child neglect
Resisting arrest without violence
This isn’t Bennett’s first brush with serious crime. In 2013, he was arrested for armed bank robbery after attempting to rob a SunTrust Bank, then successfully robbing First Coast Community Bank. He was found hiding in a van on the Shave Bridge after fleeing with his then-accomplice Mandy Hagen.
