SC dad accused of leaving sleeping 6-year-old in Pokémon card line at Target

A South Carolina man accused of leaving his 6-year-old daughter alone outside a Target store in the middle of the night allegedly told investigating officers that he left her there so he would not lose his place in line. 

The backstory:

The young girl was found alone outside the retail giant’s store in Charleston, South Carolina, around 2:30 a.m. after someone alerted the police department to an unattended child, according to a statement by the city’s police department. When officers arrived, they spotted the girl amid a group of people who camped out ahead of the release of a new Pokémon trading card set.

Left alone while sleeping 

Timeline:

Witnesses told the officers the father gave his little girl a pillow and blanket around 1 a.m. and then left her there, alone and asleep. After about an hour, other individuals in the line grew concerned and contacted law enforcement, the Charleston Police Department statement said. 

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When the father returned to the store, witnesses pointed him out and he was taken into custody, the statement continued. The police department states the father, identified as John-Michael Dooley, told detectives that he left the girl there alone so she could hold his place in line. 

What's next:

The police department noted that the child was not hurt and indicated that she was placed into emergency protective custody. Dooley faces a charge of unlawfully putting a child at risk or causing harm or willfully abandoning the child. His initial court appearance is set for Dec. 12. 

The Source: Information for this article was taken from the Charleston (SC) Police Department. This story was reported from Orlando, Florida.