Surveillance video shows a shop owner and two martial arts coaches jumping into action after police said a man tried to steal more than $30,000 worth of Pokémon cards from a game store in southwest Miami-Dade.
The attempted theft happened Monday at the Pro Play Games store located in the 1400 block of Southwest 107th Avenue.
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Police say the suspect, identified as 33-year old Jasiel Manfarrol, walked into the store and asked to see a binder filled with Pokémon cards. The store’s owner said that once the binder of cards was placed on the counter the suspect grabbed it and left the store.
The binder contained approximately 3,000 Pokémon cards valued at more than $30,000, according to the store.
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"Watching him walk away when I told him 'drop the stuff,' he like looked back and was laughing," general manager AnaMilena Machado said. "It was just like at that moment it felt like so helpless because it was like, we are just watching $30, $40 thousand dollars of our hard work just walk off."
When Manfarrol exited the store, he was confronted by the owner and bystanders. At some point, police say Manfarrol took out a pair of pliers and made “several stabbing motions” at one of the men who was trying to stop him. The suspect also stated “I’m going to stab you,” in Spanish, according to the arrest report.
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Manfarrol was able to get away from the group. But shortly after that two coaches who were training at a nearby martial arts center tackled the suspect.
"My friend jumped out of the car, cut him off and that’s when we got on top of him and used our ju jitsu to subdue him," Dominic Galiana said.
Surveillance video captured the chaotic moment the suspected thief was pinned to the ground.
Moments later, officers arrived and arrested Manfarrol.
Manfarrol, who is homeless, was booked into jail on charges of grand theft and aggravated assault.
