Triangle Area Trading Cards at Swift Creek Shopping Center in Cary was closed on Tuesday after someone broke into the store before sunrise.
Store co-owner Adam Reynolds said he woke up to alarm notifications around 5:15 a.m. Cary police responded and had already apprehended someone by the time Reynolds arrived.
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A window was smashed, allowing the suspects to gain entry.
Reynolds said there were two people involved and both were eventually caught by police. Police have not yet released any names linked to the burglary.
However, public records show authorities arrested James Fillingame and someone younger than 18.
Fillingame, 20, of Harrisburg, is charged with:
- Felony breaking and entering
- Felony larceny after breaking and entering
- Misdemeanor contributing to the delinquency of a juvenile
- Misdemeanor injury to personal property
- Misdemeanor resisting a public officer
- Misdemeanor injury to real property
"It's an absolute sick feeling of just something you've worked so hard for just being taken apart," Reynolds said "We looked at the cameras and there's two guys robbing the place."
The store, which specializes in sports cards as well as trading card games, was closed on Tuesday as Reynolds and his staff worked to clean up the mess and take inventory of everything that was stolen. Reynolds told WRAL News that around $45,000 worth of Magic: The Gathering and Pokémon cards were taken. None of the sports cards were stolen.
Reynolds, who owns the business along with his wife, was shaken by the break-in, but says they hope to be open by Wednesday.
Security footage showed one of the suspects using a hammer to break the glass at the front door.
"We'll reopen strong as ever tomorrow, just one less window," Reynolds said.
The crime highlights how popular and lucrative the industry is. In October, WRAL News reported on a string of break-ins at collectible stores where a thief allegedly took thousands of dollars in Pokémon cards. Sports collectibles and Pokémon are a hot commodity in hobby circles and have been targeted in crime sprees in other parts of the country.
"Given what we do, we sell some pretty cool stuff," Reynolds said. "So I think there is definitely something that we'll have to continue to prep and plan for and really just keep a pretty vigilant eye out."
The store was able to get most of the cards back thanks to the quick action of Cary police.
"Something like this, we rebound real quick," Reynolds said. "We're not the first shop this has ever happened to, it's going to happen again, we know that...and we're going to bounce back."
