Target Line Shock: Dad Vanishes, Kid Left

A South Carolina father is accused of leaving his sleeping six-year-old daughter alone outside a Target store at 2:30 a.m. so he wouldn’t lose his spot in line for new Pokémon cards.

Quick Take

Charleston police say a man left his sleeping daughter alone in a Target line early Friday morning to buy a new Pokémon card set.
Witnesses told police the father gave the girl a pillow and blanket before leaving her for roughly an hour.
He was arrested and charged with unlawful conduct toward a child after officers say he admitted to the plan.
The South Carolina Department of Social Services placed the child in emergency protective custody.

Police Say Child Was Left Alone Overnight

Charleston police officers responded to a West Ashley Target around 2:30 a.m. on November 6, 2026, after someone reported an unattended child outside the store. The location sits in the 2000 block of Sam Rittenberg Boulevard. Officers arrived to find a six-year-old girl alone, with no adult watching over her, according to the police account.

Police identified the child as the daughter of the man now facing charges. Witnesses told officers the father had set his daughter up in the overnight line with a pillow and a blanket sometime after 1 a.m., then left. He returned later, and witnesses pointed him out to responding officers.

Father Charged After Admitting Plan to Hold His Spot

Officers arrested the father and charged him with one count of unlawful conduct toward a child. According to the police account, he admitted he went home and left his daughter behind so he wouldn’t lose his place in line and miss the chance to buy the new Pokémon cards.

The new release driving the overnight crowds is part of Pokémon’s 30th Celebration card set, which has triggered long lines, sellouts, and even reports of fights at stores across the country in recent weeks. Scarcity and resale value have pushed some buyers to camp outside stores overnight, creating pressure-filled scenes well before doors open.

Child Placed in Protective Custody as Case Moves Forward

After the arrest, the South Carolina Department of Social Services took emergency protective custody of the child. Police said she was unharmed. The arrest reflects a criminal charge, not a finalized court outcome, and the case will now move through the legal process.

Lack of supervision is one of the most common reasons child welfare agencies open neglect investigations nationwide, according to researchers who study these cases. Courts and caseworkers are regularly asked to weigh how much unsupervised time, and under what conditions, crosses the line from ordinary parenting into neglect.

The case has drawn wide attention partly because of its unusual setup: a child’s safety weighed against a collectible card release. But the underlying question police and prosecutors now face is a familiar one in child welfare law — whether leaving a young child alone, even briefly, created a real risk serious enough to warrant criminal charges rather than just a warning.