At about 1 a.m. outside the Target in West Ashley, a man gave his 6-year-old daughter a pillow and a blanket and then walked away from the store, witnesses said.
Police identified him as John-Michael Dooley, 35. Officers from the Charleston Police Department arrested him on Friday outside that same Target and charged him with unlawful conduct toward a child. He is being held at the Al Cannon Detention Center.
Why he left
People had lined up overnight for a Pokémon Trading Card Game release. The department’s announcement says police got a report that Dooley allegedly left the girl on her own for more than an hour.
Detectives interviewed Dooley, and police said he “admitted that he had returned home, leaving his daughter unattended so he could maintain his place in line and avoid missing the opportunity to purchase the cards.”
In other words, the 6-year-old was keeping his place in line while he was back at home.
Where the girl is now
The girl was not hurt, according to police. She was “placed into emergency protective custody with the South Carolina Department of Social Services.”
Police have not said if Dooley ended up getting the cards.