You may have noticed that Pokemon Go is a bit of a “thing” at the moment. As far as location-based augmented reality mobile games go, this Nintendo offering’s done a pretty good job of merging into day-to-day life. Pokemon Go has managed to bust up relationships, lead players to dead bodies, facilitate the occasional robbery and make Nintendo a ridiculous amount of money. The next trick up Pokemon Go‘s sleeve? Catching an attempted murder suspect.
Two former Marines found themselves in this unlikely situation in Fullerton, California. Javier Soch and Seth Ortega were downtown playing the mega-popular game, when Soch observed some uncomfortable behavior occurring around him as his game froze. He noticed a fidgety man in a mismatched outfit complete with an oversized jacket, a baseball cap, and an artificial rose. The man was speaking with a mother and her children and appeared to be scaring them. Soch and Ortega were told by the man that he was looking for shelter or cigarettes. They encouraged him to go to a nearby police station for help obtaining those things.
Soch and Ortega would later observe the man talking to another mother and her children. They also say that they saw him engage in inappropriate touching. When the man grabbed a boy’s foot and moved his hand up the leg, these good dudes sprang into action. Ortega escorted the stranger away, while Soch stayed with the families who were harassed. Police detained the man for questioning (his name has not been released) and discovered that there’s a warrant out for his arrest in Sonoma County for attempted murder.
“If I hadn’t looked over to my left and seen this guy who looks out of place, I could have missed it,” Soch told the Los Angeles Times. “The best thing I can say: Remind yourself that you are not in the phone playing the game. Look around and be more aware.”
Sensible advice. Stay alert and you too might catch something that’s more important than Pidgey.
(via Los Angeles Times)