Vancouver Man Arrested in Pokémon Card Robberies

Vancouver police have arrested a man in his 20s suspected of targeting sellers of high-value Pokémon trading cards in a series of bear spray robberies arranged through Facebook Marketplace. The incidents, which occurred over five consecutive days starting March 23, 2026, involved victims who were assaulted and robbed after agreeing to meet the suspect in public spaces to complete sales.

According to Vancouver Police Department Staff Sgt. Ryan Campbell, the suspect contacted sellers online, arranged meetings to inspect the cards, and then deployed bear spray to disorient them before fleeing with the items. In one case, a victim pursued the robber and recovered their card. The total value of the stolen cards across the five robberies is estimated at about $6,000, with some individual cards listed for sale at more than $10,000. Police recovered two cards worth approximately $2,000 during the arrest.

Officers from the major crime section set up a sting operation by posting a fake listing for a rare card on Facebook Marketplace. After communicating with the suspect and arranging a meeting, they took him into custody on March 27 without resistance. Authorities believe he acted alone....