Edhat Staff
Metro Entertainment, a beloved comic book shop in Santa Barbara, was targeted by thieves once again on Thursday when they became the victim of their second break-in in just four months. The target? Their valuable collection of Pokémon cards.
At around 6 a.m., a burglar wielding a sledgehammer shattered through the shop’s front window along Anapamu Street. In a brazen smash-and-grab that lasted less than a minute, the thief made off with Pokémon merchandise valued at over $10,000.
Store owner Bob Ficarra described the ordeal, noting the suspect’s swift entry and exit that mirrors a similar event from January, where the store suffered the loss of Pokémon goods of the same value. There has yet to be an update from law enforcement on the status of the first burglary.
Ficarra commented on the efficiency of the shop’s alarm system and response time of the local police, who arrived swiftly but not in time to apprehend the culprit. Despite robust security measures including cameras, motion detectors, and alarms, Ficarra feels there’s little more they can do that’s both effective and economically viable.
In a heartfelt social media post, Ficarra lamented the loss and disruption while assuring the public that the festivities, though dampened by the incident, would go on.
“Not the message I had hoped to send today- about FREE COMIC BOOK DAY in 2 days on Saturday… We will power through this again,” he stated.
Metro Entertainment is hosting its Free Comic Book Day on Saturday, May 3rd from 11:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m. at 6 W. Anapamu Street in Santa Barbara.
Bob, so sorry to her this happen again. The community needs to come together to catch these thieves