It isn’t the Pokémon cards that might break this case open. It’s the pickup the burglars used to get to them.
Tacoma police and Crime Stoppers of Tacoma/Pierce County are asking the public to help identify the truck used in two commercial burglaries at Knutsen’s Sports Cards on 6th Avenue. The Crime Stoppers listing files it as a commercial burglary under Tacoma Police case 26-306-00255. The most recent break-in was early Monday, Nov. 2. Police say that in both burglaries, the thieves backed a pickup through the store’s rear metal doors, not through a wall, and drove off with trading cards. The owner puts the loss at roughly $50,000, mostly sealed Pokémon and Magic: The Gathering product.
The truck police are looking for
The bulletin describes a dark 2006 or 2007 Dodge Ram 2500 or 3500 with a Mega Cab or extended cab. It has a broken driver’s-side taillight and rear bumper damage, and it was carrying a stolen Washington plate, C12766M. The plate is probably long gone. The body damage is what’s useful.
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That’s a narrow description, and it matters. The Mega Cab was new for the 2006 model year. Dodge built it on the Ram 2500 Quad Cab long-bed chassis and stretched the cab 20 inches longer while keeping the overall length about the same. To make room, the bed got shorter. The result has a distinctive side profile: huge rear doors, a stubby bed, and a cab that looks out of proportion to the rest of the truck. Every Mega Cab came off the line at Dodge’s Saltillo, Mexico plant.
The “extended cab” alternative most likely means the Quad Cab, Dodge’s four-door that was sold with a full-length 6.3- or 8-foot bed. If you’re scanning parking lots and Marketplace listings, the bed length tells you which of the two you’re looking at.
Engine options don’t narrow it much. The heavy-duty Rams in those years came with the 5.7-liter Hemi or the Cummins turbo-diesel, and Dodge added the 6.7-liter Cummins partway through 2007. A diesel would be loud enough that a neighbor at 5 a.m. might remember it. That’s speculation, but it’s a reasonable question for detectives to ask.
Why thieves keep using heavy-duty pickups
A three-quarter- or one-ton truck makes sense as a tool for this. A heavy-duty Ram weighs around three tons, has a stiff frame and a rear bumper mounted to that frame, so backing it into a rear door puts a lot of force on the door without doing much damage to the truck. After that, the bed holds the loot. A sedan can’t do both.
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The damage police described also lines up with this method. A broken driver’s-side taillight and a crunched rear bumper are what you’d expect after reversing into a steel door more than once. Those parts are cheap and easy to replace, so the people involved may fix them now that the description is public. If a 2006–07 Ram owner in the area suddenly bought a new taillight assembly and bumper this week, that’s worth a call.
What this means for truck owners
The bulletin says the truck had a stolen plate. It doesn’t say whether the truck itself was stolen. If you own one of these Rams, a few things to keep in mind:
- Insurance. If your truck is stolen and then used in a crime, your comprehensive coverage usually handles the theft and the damage to your own truck. Damage to the building is normally the property owner’s insurer’s problem. Report a theft immediately: a timestamped police report is what separates you from the person who drove it into the shop.
- Plates. Check that both of yours are still on the truck. Thieves often take plates from other vehicles to put on a stolen or suspect truck, and owners often don’t notice for weeks. If one is missing, report it to the police and get it replaced through Washington’s Department of Licensing so the old number stops coming back to you.
- Repairs. Body shops and parts counters in Pierce County should pay attention to anyone bringing in a 2006–07 heavy-duty Ram with exactly this damage.
The bigger picture for card shops
The store’s protections didn’t stop a truck. Cameras recorded the burglary but didn’t prevent it. Steel bollards outside rear doors, concrete barriers by loading areas, and keeping sealed inventory in a safe overnight are the measures that actually make a truck useless. Sealed product is also harder to trace than graded cards, because graded cards carry certification numbers. That makes the vehicle one of the better leads police have.
How to send a tip
Crime Stoppers of Tacoma/Pierce County is offering up to $1,000 for information leading to an arrest and charges. Anonymous tips go to 1-800-222-TIPS (8477). Mention case 26-306-00255.
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