Fountain Valley boy accused of assaulting schoolmate for Pokemon

collection

Andrew Wainer

FOUNTAIN VALLEY -- A Valley Vista Middle School eighth-grader is accused

of running over a fellow student with his bike and making off with the

boy’s collection of 150 Pokemon cards.

The cards were valued at $150.

“It is really unfortunate that this happened,” said Beverly Hempstead,

Ocean View School District’s director of student services.

The incident occurred Oct. 14 at 5 p.m. at the corner of Newland Street

and Heil Avenue, said Assistant Dist. Atty. Bob Gannon. Police reports

said the two boys -- whose names were withheld because they are juveniles

-- had a chance meeting after school. After discussing the Pokemon

collection, the two 13-year-olds parted ways. But one of the boys made a

sudden U-turn on his bicycle and crashed into his schoolmate, knocking

him down and taking away the cards. The victim’s injuries were not

significant, Gannon said.

The boy accused of taking the collection was arrested the next day, and

the cards were recovered from his home. An arraignment is scheduled for

Wednesday.

The maximum penalty for this type of incident is a five-year sentence at

a California Youth Authority institution.

Pokemon cards, based on a Japanese TV cartoon, have grown into one of the

hottest children’s items this holiday season. Some reports have said many

toy stores have already sold out of Pokemon cards.

While many schools have had to compete with the popular cartoon

characters for attention, schools in Huntington Beach and Fountain Valley

have been free of problems.

“District policy is that we do not allow personal property at school,”

Hempstead said -- and that includes Pokemon cards.

Vista View Principal Kathy Bihr said if students bring personal items to

school, they are confiscated.