What to Know
John-Michael Dooley apparently loves his Pokémon cards more than about anything else. The 35-year-old father went to a Target store in South Carolina in the middle of the night on November 6, 2026, in the hopes of getting his hands on a coveted new card drop when the store opened.
But instead of waiting in line himself, Dooley allegedly dropped off his 6-year-old daughter to hold his place. Instead of a set of cards, Dooley received a trip to jail.
Customers told police what they saw.
According to a release from the Charleston Police Department, Dooley allegedly arrived at the West Ashley Target store with the child around 1 a.m. Witnesses claimed he gave the little girl a pillow and a blanket before he left the premises. When Dooley failed to return, concerned customers contacted police. When officers arrived, they found the child alone and soon learned that her father was the one who left her in line for the Pokémon cards.
Witnesses quickly identified Dooley.
As soon as he showed back up at the store, the good Samaritans came to the child’s rescue. They identified Dooley to police, who then arrested him.
“During an interview with detectives, Dooley admitted that he had returned home, leaving his daughter unattended so he could maintain his place in line and avoid missing the opportunity to purchase the cards,” police shared.
Thankfully, the child remained safe in the care of strangers while her father was away. Authorities placed her in emergency custody with the South Carolina Department of Social Services.
A woman claiming to be the child’s mother made some big allegations.
Screenshots shared on Facebook from Savanna Meade, a woman who claims she is the child’s mother, made big accusations about Dooley. According to Meade, the father is an attorney and a multimillionaire. She stated Dooley stole her child, and that’s why she doesn’t have custody. The mother’s story didn’t add up for some people.
“If I have 12 million dollars, I’m buying from a scalper/online/whatever. No truly rich person is standing in that line when they have enough money to get what they want other ways,” someone wrote. “And yeah, he left her in line, not himself, but my point still stands. So something isn’t adding up.”
This person agreed, writing, “There is no way that man is a wealthy attorney- he wouldn’t be in line for Pokémon cards if he was.”
One person who claimed to have intel on the situation popped into the comment section with their onion.
“I know both of them personally. The mom does not have custody and for good reason. Savannah Meade is in fact her mother and used to be one of my best friends. NEITHER of them are fit to be parents and she needs to take accountability for why her daughter was taken from her,” they wrote. “She was just arrested herself days prior to this incident.”
Per court records, Dooley faces a charge of unlawful conduct toward a child. He posted a $40,000 bond and was released from jail the same day.
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