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A 35-year-old South Carolina man was arrested Friday after police said he left his sleeping 6-year-old daughter unattended outside a Charleston Target while waiting in line for a Pokémon card release. Police said the girl was unharmed and placed in emergency protective custody; the father was charged with unlawful conduct toward a child.
A 35-year-old South Carolina man was arrested Friday after police said he left his sleeping 6-year-old daughter alone outside a Target in Charleston while he held his place in line for a Pokémon trading card release. The child was unharmed, police said, and was placed in emergency protective custody with the state Department of Social Services.
Charleston police said officers went to the Target in the city’s West Ashley neighborhood at about 2:30 a.m. after receiving a report of an unattended child. They found the girl alone outside the store, according to a department news release. Police identified her father as John-Michael Dooley, of Johns Island.
Witnesses told police that Dooley gave the girl a pillow and blanket before leaving her asleep in line sometime after 1 a.m. After about an hour passed without his return, concerned customers called police, authorities said. When Dooley returned, witnesses identified him and officers arrested him, according to the release.
Police said Dooley admitted that he had gone home and left his daughter unattended to keep his place in line. He was charged with unlawful conduct toward a child and was being held at the Al Cannon Detention Center, according to police. The release did not specify whether he had a lawyer available to respond to the charge.
Child Welfare and Criminal Charge
The case concerns the safety of a young child left without an adult in a public place overnight. Police said the girl was not injured, but they placed her in emergency protective custody with the South Carolina Department of Social Services. The department has not provided further details about her care in the supplied report.
The arrest and charge are allegations, not a finding of guilt. Dooley has not publicly discussed the details of the allegations, and the source report does not include a court outcome. The distinction matters: police have described their account of what happened, while any criminal responsibility must be determined through the legal process.
The incident also drew attention because customers waiting for a popular trading card release were the people who raised concern and contacted authorities. Their call led to a police response and the child’s placement in protective custody, according to the department.
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Overnight Line at West Ashley Target
Police said numerous customers had gathered outside the Target overnight for the release of “Mega Evolution — Delta Reign,” the latest expansion for the Pokémon Trading Card Game. The set went on sale Friday. Pokémon began as a Japanese children’s video game franchise and expanded into trading cards and other products; packs start at about $5, according to the report.
The police release does not say whether Dooley intended to buy the cards for himself or for his daughter. That point is not necessary to the reported basis for the arrest: police said he left the child unattended while he went home and sought to retain his place in line.
In comments to NBC News, Dooley declined to discuss the allegations in detail, saying he was following his attorney’s advice. He said media coverage had been inaccurate but did not specify which details he disputed. He could not immediately be reached for further comment, according to the report.
“Police said Dooley admitted that he had gone home and left his daughter unattended so he could keep his place in line.”
— Charleston Police Department
Disputed Details and Case Status
The available report does not identify which parts of the media coverage Dooley considers inaccurate. It also does not provide a detailed account of any further statements he may have made to police beyond the department’s description of an admission.
Police said the girl was unharmed and placed with the state Department of Social Services, but the report does not say whether she has since been released to a guardian or what arrangements have been made for her care. The supplied material also does not give a first court date, whether Dooley has entered a plea, or whether he remains in custody.
The allegation has not been established in court. Further details about the criminal case and the child’s custody situation were not available in the source report.
Court Proceedings and Custody Updates
The next public developments may include court filings or a hearing on the unlawful conduct toward a child charge. The police release and source report do not state when Dooley is due in court, whether bail has been set, or whether prosecutors have filed additional information.
Any update on the child’s placement would come from the relevant authorities or court proceedings, subject to privacy protections for a minor. Until further information is released, the confirmed public account remains the police department’s description of the overnight incident and arrest, alongside Dooley’s limited response to NBC News.
Key Questions
Where did the incident happen?
Police said officers responded to a Target in Charleston’s West Ashley neighborhood after a report of an unattended child.
What did police say happened?
Police said Dooley left his sleeping 6-year-old daughter outside while he went home to keep his place in line for a Pokémon card release. Witnesses called police after he had been gone for about an hour, according to authorities.
Was the child injured?
Police said the girl was unharmed and placed in emergency protective custody with the South Carolina Department of Social Services. The report does not give further information about her current placement.
What charge does Dooley face?
Police said Dooley was charged with unlawful conduct toward a child. The supplied report does not state a court date or the outcome of the case.
Has Dooley responded to the allegations?
Dooley declined to discuss the allegations in detail with NBC News, citing his attorney’s advice. He said media coverage had been inaccurate but did not specify what he disputed.
Source: nbcnews.com
