A Fresno man has been sentenced to prison after stealing $1,000 worth of Pokemon cards.
The big picture: The Tulare County District Attorney’s Office announced that Michael Baker, 31, was sentenced to four years in state prison for robbing a Visalia store of Pokemon cards.
Driving the news: On April 25, 2025, Visalia police officers responded to a gas station on Dinuba Blvd for reports of a theft.
- Officers discovered that Baker stole $1,000 worth of Pokemon cards.
- Witnesses told officers that when Baker was confronted, he lifted his shirt in a threatening manner as if he had a weapon concealed in his waistband.
- Employees saw that Baker had parked his car directly behind the store with his trunk open. While Baker fled the scene, investigators identified him in video surveillance and took him into custody two days later.
- Baker pleaded no contest to felony second-degree robbery with the special allegation that he possesses a prior serious felony conviction on Oct. 6, 2025.
