FOREST LAKE, Minn. — The owners of a Forest Lake small business are figuring out their next move, after a crook hit them hard during an overnight burglary.
Punch Out Gaming is a self-described "mom and pop" family business that buys and sells video games and collectible trading cards. One of their hottest products is Pokémon cards, which have enjoyed a significant resurgence in recent years.
Overnight Thursday into Friday a crook broke into the shop by getting into a neighboring business, busting a hole in the wall and entering Punch Out's storage room, stealing an undisclosed amount of cash and an estimated $250,000 in collector cards.
"I just feel numb, just watching somebody come in and take everything away that you worked so hard to build up over the years," said co-owner Jason Peterson as he watched the heist caught on video from the store's security system.
Peterson told KARE 11 photojournalist David Peterlinz the business does have insurance, but assumes they will still take a significant loss when the dust settles.
"This is devastating for us, it's really going to be hard for us to weather the storm, we don't have any answers yet, we're still working on getting it sorted out," Peterson shared.
If there is anything positive to take from a terrible weekend, it's the outpouring of support from customers who stopped by over the weekend with encouraging messages, or to do a small bit of business with a family operation that really appreciates them.
"It only makes our devotion stronger," insists Peterson, who says Punch Out Gaming has been doing business in Forest Lake for eight years. "We're really going to keep going forward, reinvent and come back."
The surveillance video captures a fairly clear image of at least one suspect. Peterson says owners do not recognize him, but asks anyone who does to contact the store at 651-464-9820, or Forest Lake Police.
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