South Carolina father arrested for leaving 6-year-old alone overnight in Target line for Pokémon cards
Source: ABC News · All ABC News reports
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Summary
The ABC News segment reports that John-Michael Dooley, 35, of Johns Island, South Carolina, was arrested after leaving his 6-year-old daughter sleeping outside a West Ashley Target store around 1 a.m. on November 6, 2026. He provided her with a pillow and blanket before leaving to go home, intending for her to hold his place in a line of customers waiting for a new Pokémon Trading Card Game release. Concerned bystanders called police after about an hour; officers responded at 2:30 a.m., and Dooley was identified and arrested upon his return. The child was unharmed and placed with the South Carolina Department of Social Services. Dooley admitted the actions to detectives and faces a charge of unlawful conduct toward a child. The clip notes he has not publicly responded to the charges.
Editorial Assessment
The short broadcast accurately conveys the core facts drawn from the official Charleston Police Department release, with no unsupported claims or contradictions in subsequent reporting. Viewers receive a clear picture of the incident but miss modest additional context: the specific set released was "Mega Evolution – Delta Reign," the father has since been released from custody on $40,000 bond, and his attorney has suggested some media coverage was inaccurate without elaborating. The framing as an "alleged" incident appropriately reflects the pending charge. Overall, it is a straightforward crime blotter item that avoids sensational language while highlighting the risk to the child; the primary skew for viewers is the brevity, which leaves out the scale of the overnight Pokémon line and any follow-up on the child's welfare.
Key Moments
A South Carolina father left his 6-year-old daughter outside a Target overnight to hold his place in line for Pokémon cards.
Matches the Charleston Police Department news release of November 6, 2026, and witness accounts reported consistently by local outlets including Live 5 News and ABC News 4.
Police arrested him when he returned to the store.
Police responded at 2:30 a.m. to an unattended child report; witnesses identified Dooley upon his return, leading to immediate arrest per the official CPD release.
Dooley admitted leaving her so he could maintain his place in line.
Dooley confessed this to detectives during interview, as stated in the CPD news release and corroborated in reports from USA Today, NY Post, and NBC News.
The daughter was unharmed and taken into emergency protective custody.
Explicitly stated in the police release; South Carolina DSS took custody, with all outlets confirming she was unharmed.
Douly has not publicly responded to the charges.
Consistent with early reporting; later NBC News noted he declined detailed comment citing attorney advice and called some coverage inaccurate.
Sources Consulted
- Charleston Police Department News Release: Father Arrested After Leaving Child in Pokémon Line
- Police: Man left daughter sleeping outside Target to hold spot for Pokémon cards
- Dad left daughter, 6, alone to wait for Pokémon cards
- South Carolina man arrested after leaving sleeping 6-year-old daughter in line for Pokémon card release, police say
- South Carolina dad left sleeping daughter, 6, outside Target at 1 a.m. to save his spot in line for Pokémon cards: cops
- Johns Island man charged after leaving daughter in line at Target for Pokémon cards
- Father Arrested For Leaving 6-Year-Old Daughter Sleeping In Line For Pokémon Cards