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A 35-year-old South Carolina man was arrested after police say 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 faces a charge of unlawful conduct toward a child.
A 35-year-old South Carolina man was arrested Friday after police say he left his sleeping 6-year-old daughter alone outside a Target in Charleston while he went home to keep his place in line for a Pokémon trading card release. Police said the girl was unharmed and placed in emergency protective custody; her father, John-Michael Dooley, was charged with unlawful conduct toward a child.
Charleston police said officers went to the Target in the city’s West Ashley neighborhood at about 2:30 a.m. after receiving a report of an unattended child. They found the girl alone. The store had drawn customers who gathered overnight for the release, according to the police department’s news release.
Witnesses told police that Dooley gave his daughter a pillow and blanket and left her asleep in line sometime after 1 a.m. After about an hour passed without him returning, customers called police, authorities said. When Dooley came back to the store, witnesses identified him, and officers arrested him, according to the department.
Police said Dooley admitted he had gone home and left his daughter unattended so he could hold his place in line. The department said the child was unharmed and was placed with the South Carolina Department of Social Services in emergency protective custody. Dooley was being held at the Al Cannon Detention Center, according to the release.
Child Safety and the Arrest
The arrest concerns the safety of a young child left alone overnight in a public place, as well as the criminal charge police say followed their investigation. The account from witnesses and the father’s reported admission are attributed to police; the charge is an allegation, and the source material does not report a court finding of guilt.
Police said the girl was not injured, but her placement in emergency protective custody means the incident also involved child-welfare authorities. The available information does not describe what further steps those authorities may take. The episode underscores that a parent’s stated reason for leaving a child unattended does not resolve the safety or legal questions raised by the circumstances.
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The Overnight Card Release Line
The incident took place as customers gathered outside the Target for the Friday release of “Mega Evolution — Delta Reign,” a new expansion for the Pokémon Trading Card Game. Police described the overnight crowd as customers waiting for the release. The game is part of a Japanese franchise that began as a children’s video game and features fictional creatures that players collect, train and battle.
The report said card packs start at about $5. It did not establish whether Dooley planned to buy the cards for himself or his daughter. The release brought customers to the store overnight, but the police account of the arrest centers on the child being left unattended, not on the purchase or the reason for the family’s visit beyond the line.
“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, in its news release
Open Questions in the Case
Dooley’s specific account of the events has not been fully reported. He declined to discuss the allegations in detail with NBC News, citing his attorney, and said coverage was inaccurate without identifying which details he disputed. The available source does not include a response from his attorney.
The source material also does not state whether Dooley has appeared in court, entered a plea, or obtained release from detention. It does not give further information about the child’s care after emergency protective custody or any decisions by the Department of Social Services. The intended buyer of the cards is also not known.
Court and Child-Welfare Steps
The reported next developments are whether the case proceeds through court and whether additional information emerges from police, Dooley’s legal representative, or child-welfare authorities. No court date, plea, or further legal action was specified in the source report. The charge remains an allegation unless resolved through the legal process.
Police said the girl was placed in emergency protective custody with the South Carolina Department of Social Services. The source does not say what placement or follow-up arrangements were made after that initial action, so the child’s longer-term status remains unknown.
Key Questions
Who was arrested?
John-Michael Dooley, 35, of Johns Island, South Carolina, was arrested, according to Charleston police.
What does police say happened?
Police said Dooley left his sleeping 6-year-old daughter alone outside a Target in Charleston while he went home to hold his place in line for a Pokémon card release.
Was the child injured?
Police said the child was unharmed. They said she was placed in emergency protective custody with the South Carolina Department of Social Services.
What charge does Dooley face?
Police said Dooley was charged with unlawful conduct toward a child. The source report does not state whether he has entered a plea or appeared in court.
What remains unknown about the case?
The source does not report a court date, Dooley’s plea, the child’s longer-term care arrangements, or a detailed response from Dooley to the allegations. He told NBC News that media coverage was inaccurate but did not specify what he disputed.
Source: nbcnews.com
