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A 35-year-old South Carolina man was arrested after police said he left his sleeping 6-year-old daughter alone outside a Charleston Target while waiting for a Pokémon card release. Police said the child was unharmed and placed in emergency protective custody; the father was charged with unlawful conduct toward a child.
A 35-year-old man was arrested in Charleston after police said he left his sleeping 6-year-old daughter alone outside a Target while he held a place in line for a Pokémon trading card release. The girl was unharmed and placed in emergency protective custody, according to the Charleston Police Department.
Officers responded to the Target in Charleston’s West Ashley neighborhood at about 2:30 a.m. Friday after a report of an unattended child, police said in a news release. They found the girl alone outside the store, where customers had gathered overnight for the card release.
Witnesses told police that the girl’s father, identified as John-Michael Dooley of Johns Island, gave her a pillow and blanket before leaving her asleep sometime after 1 a.m. After about an hour without his return, concerned customers contacted police, authorities said. When Dooley came back, witnesses identified him, and officers arrested him.
Police said Dooley admitted he had gone home and left his daughter unattended so he could keep his place in line. He was charged with unlawful conduct toward a child and held at the Al Cannon Detention Center, according to the department. The news release did not say whether he planned to buy the cards for himself or his daughter.
Child Welfare After Overnight Store Incident
The case centers on a young child being left alone overnight in a public place, rather than on the product release that drew customers to the store. Police said the girl was unharmed, but the department’s account says she remained without her father for about an hour before customers called authorities.
The child was placed in emergency protective custody with the South Carolina Department of Social Services, police said. That action indicates authorities arranged for her care following the incident; the available account does not describe what longer-term arrangements, if any, followed.
The arrest and charge are allegations subject to the legal process. Dooley’s decision to leave the child, as described by police, is the basis of the case reported by authorities. The information provided does not establish what happened in court or whether any further charges were filed.
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Why Customers Called Police
The release involved “Mega Evolution — Delta Reign,” a new expansion for the Pokémon Trading Card Game that went on sale Friday. Police said numerous customers had gathered outside the West Ashley Target overnight in anticipation of its release.
According to witnesses cited by police, Dooley left his daughter with a pillow and blanket after 1 a.m. Customers became concerned when he had not returned after about an hour and reported the unattended child. Police arrived at about 2:30 a.m. The sequence and the father’s admission are described in the department’s account; the available material does not provide an independent account from the store.
Dooley declined to discuss the allegations in detail with NBC News, citing his attorney’s advice. He said media coverage had been inaccurate but did not specify which details he disputed. Police did not state that the card purchase was intended for the child.
“Police said Dooley admitted that he had gone home and left his daughter unattended so he could keep his place in line.”
— Charleston Police Department
Disputed Details and Case Status
The available police account does not identify which aspects of media coverage Dooley disputed. It also does not provide a detailed account from Dooley or his attorney about the events, beyond his statement that coverage was inaccurate and his decision not to discuss the allegations.
The source material does not report a court appearance, plea, hearing date, or outcome of the charge. It is also unclear what arrangements were made for the child after the emergency protective custody placement, or whether the South Carolina Department of Social Services has taken further action.
Court and Child-Care Updates
The next confirmed developments would be updates to the criminal case, including any court appearance or ruling on the charge. The available report does not give a date for a hearing or say whether Dooley has entered a plea.
Further information could also clarify the child’s care after she was placed in emergency protective custody. Police and the Department of Social Services had not provided additional details in the source material, so those arrangements remain unconfirmed.
Key Questions
What did police say happened outside the Target?
Police said witnesses saw John-Michael Dooley leave his sleeping 6-year-old daughter outside the West Ashley store while he went home to keep his place in line for a card release. Customers called police after he had been gone for about an hour.
Was the child injured?
No injuries were reported. The Charleston Police Department said the girl was unharmed and placed in emergency protective custody with the South Carolina Department of Social Services.
What charge does the father face?
Police said Dooley was charged with unlawful conduct toward a child. The source material does not include a court outcome or details of a plea.
Which Pokémon cards were being released?
The release was the Pokémon Trading Card Game expansion “Mega Evolution — Delta Reign,” which went on sale Friday, according to the report.
Did Dooley say why he left his daughter?
Police said Dooley admitted he went home and left her unattended to keep his place in line. He declined to discuss the allegations in detail with NBC News, citing his attorney’s advice, and said coverage had been inaccurate without specifying what he disputed.
Source: nbcnews.com
