Quebec gunman steals $30K in Pokemon cards, tells victims ‘thank you’ before fleeing

A man accused of robbing a Quebec collectibles store at gunpoint made off with about $30,000 worth of Pokémon cards before calmly thanking those inside as he left, according to the store's owners.

The robbery happened on June 18 at MissingNo. in Saint-Alexis, Quebec, around 60 kilometres northeast of Montreal. Security footage showed a man entering the store carrying what appeared to be a firearm while customers, including a 10-year-old boy, were inside.

“He came inside, so I step up and I went to him, then he showed me a gun, and he tell to everyone to stand up,” co-owner Jean-Francois Hetu said to CTV News.

Rather than demanding cash, the suspect stuffed valuable trading cards into a hockey bag. As he walked out, still armed, he reportedly told those inside, “Thank you. Have a good night.”

Store owners Hetu and Charles Breault Pariseau chased after the suspect with baseball bats, smashing the vehicle's taillights and a passenger-side window as it sped away.

“We wanted the police to recognize the car,” Breault-Pariseau said.

Police arrested Dany El-Aawar roughly two hours later. He has been charged in connection with the robbery as well as several other alleged robberies dating back to April.

Despite the arrest, the stolen merchandise was not recovered.

“He already had the time to take the hockey bag with all the stuff that he stole from us and give them to another person, so we didn’t get our stuff back,” Hetu said.

Following the robbery, the store added tighter security, including controlled entry with a buzzer, a remotely unlocked front door, and additional surveillance cameras. Hetu said he hopes other trading card retailers take similar precautions.

“We’re in 2026, so, right now that game is like this,” he said. “You have to take your responsibility and have protection for your customers.”