TL;DR
Turn the school run and nap time into listening time
- Thousands of audiobooks, podcasts and originals
- Listen on your phone, tablet or Echo — also offline
- Cancel anytime
Charleston police say John-Michael Dooley left his 6-year-old daughter alone outside a West Ashley Target while customers waited for a Pokémon Trading Card Game release. The child was unharmed and placed in emergency protective custody; Dooley was arrested and charged with unlawful conduct toward a child.
A 35-year-old Johns Island man was arrested after Charleston police said he left his 6-year-old daughter alone outside a West Ashley Target while he went home to preserve his place in line for Pokémon cards. Police said the child was unharmed and was placed in emergency protective custody with the South Carolina Department of Social Services.
Charleston Police Department officers responded to the Target at about 2:30 a.m. Friday after receiving a report of an unattended child, according to WCBD News 2. Customers had gathered outside the store overnight ahead of the release of a new Pokémon Trading Card Game set.
Witnesses told officers that sometime after 1 a.m., John-Michael Dooley gave his daughter a pillow and blanket and left her in line. After about an hour passed without him returning, customers contacted law enforcement, police said. Dooley later came back to the store, where witnesses identified him to officers.
Police said Dooley admitted during an interview with detectives that he had left his daughter in line to hold his place so he could go home without missing the opportunity to buy cards. He was charged with unlawful conduct toward a child and taken to a local detention center. The child was reported unharmed.
Child Safety at Overnight Retail Lines
The case centers on a young child being left without an adult outside a store during the early morning hours. Police said other customers recognized the situation and called for help after the father had been gone for about an hour. Their report brought officers to the scene and led to the child being taken into emergency protective custody.
The account also shows how an event drawing customers to a store can create circumstances requiring attention beyond the purchase line itself. Here, the new card release brought people to the Target overnight, and witnesses were able to alert authorities when the child remained alone. The known facts do not establish what risks the child faced during that time, and police described her as unharmed.
The arrest and charge are allegations handled through the criminal justice system; they do not establish guilt. The immediate confirmed outcome reported by police was that the child was safe and in the care of the state agency while the case proceeded.
Products Worth Considering
Owlet Dream Sight 2K Smart Baby Monitor Camera with Floor Stand
Chicco OneFit LX ClearTex All-in-One Convertible Car Seat
LEGO Icons Jazz Club Modular Building Set (10312)
As an affiliate, we earn on qualifying purchases.
How Customers Alerted Police
The reported sequence began during an overnight wait outside the West Ashley Target for a newly released Pokémon Trading Card Game set. According to witnesses cited by police, Dooley left his daughter in the line sometime after 1 a.m. with a pillow and blanket. When he had not returned after roughly an hour, customers contacted law enforcement.
Officers arrived at approximately 2:30 a.m. Friday. Dooley returned later and was identified by witnesses, police said. Detectives then interviewed him, and police reported that he acknowledged leaving the child to hold his place while he went home. The supplied report does not give a calendar date for Friday or provide further details about the card release.
“Dooley admitted that he had left his daughter in line to hold his place so he could go home without missing the chance to buy Pokémon cards.”
— Charleston police, as reported by WCBD News 2
Open Questions About the Case
The source report does not specify the calendar date of the Friday incident, how long the child remained in emergency protective custody, or what arrangements were made after she was taken into care. It also does not identify the next court date or provide a response from Dooley or his attorney.
Police reported an arrest and a charge, but the supplied information does not describe any court findings. The charge is an allegation, and the available account does not establish the case’s eventual outcome.
Court Process and Child Placement
Dooley was taken to a local detention center after being charged, according to the report. The next developments would include any court proceedings and decisions about the charge. No hearing date or additional court information was included in the source material.
The South Carolina Department of Social Services took the child into emergency protective custody. The report does not say how long that placement will last or what longer-term arrangements may follow. Further information from police, the department or the court could clarify those points.
Key Questions
What do police say happened outside the Target?
Police said John-Michael Dooley left his 6-year-old daughter alone in line while customers waited overnight for a Pokémon Trading Card Game release. Witnesses said he had left her with a pillow and blanket.
Why did the father reportedly leave the child there?
Police said Dooley told detectives he left his daughter to hold his place in line so he could go home without missing the chance to buy Pokémon cards.
Was the child hurt?
The report says police described the child as unharmed. She was placed in emergency protective custody with the South Carolina Department of Social Services.
What was Dooley charged with?
He was charged with unlawful conduct toward a child and taken to a local detention center, according to the report. The charge is an allegation, not a court finding.
When did the incident happen, and what happens next?
Police responded at approximately 2:30 a.m. Friday; the source report does not state the calendar date. The report gives no court date or details about the child’s placement after emergency protective custody.
Source: counton2.com
