Many public libraries offer electronic game borrowing services.However, recently, police in northern California arrested a 45-year-old Oakland man, Jamal Reed-Obafumi, who was suspected of stealing "a total value of about $10,000" Nintendo Switch game cartridges from several local libraries.
According to the Marin County Sheriff’s Office, detectives linked Reed-Obafumi to “at least seven library theft cases” through investigations, which occurred between April and June 2025 and involved multiple library branches in the county.The suspect has been held in the Marin County Jail and faces 12 felony charges, including multiple burglary charges and additional charges such as crimes while on bail.
The Sheriff’s Office specifically stressed: “Libraries, as an important pillar of the community, must be protected to ensure that everyone can enjoy their services.” The Marin County Library System reportedly has more than 200 Switch games available for borrowing, but it is not clear whether the stolen game has been recovered.
It is worth mentioning that not long before this case, a semi-truck theft case occurred in Texas, and 2,800 Switch2 hosts in the car disappeared.
