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Pokémon GO Linked to Trespassing, Crashing Car, Falling Off Ocean Cliff

posted on by Rafael Antonio Pineda
Non-life-threatening injuries in all cases on Wednesday & Thursday

Niantic Labs and Nintendo's Pokémon GO smartphone game was at the center of a number of incidents and accidents on Wednesday and Thursday. Two individuals were charged with criminal trespass of Toledo Zoo in Toledo, Ohio on Thursday.

Police arrested 25-year old Robin Bartholomy and 26-year old Adrian Crawford after trespassing on the zoo and staying inside for an hour. Crawford explained that the zoo "had so many stops in there, and so many Pokémon." Police booked the pair in Lucas County jail, and were released on their own recognizance. Arraignment is set for Friday.

The pair have been banned from the zoo.

In San Diego County, California, two men in their early 20s were playing the game on Wednesday when they fell off a coastal bluff, after crossing a fenced area to get to the bluff. One man fell about 75 to 100 feet off the edge of the bluff, while firefighters of the Encinitas Fire Department found the other unconscious 50 feet down the bluff. The fire department said that the pair suffered moderate injuries.

In Anaheim, a man in his late 20s playing Pokémon GO in a park in early Wednesday morning became the victim of an attack. Anaheim police said the man was stabbed multiple times by a group of around five to six men. Police have not yet determined a motive for the attack.

The victim was rushed to a nearby hospital. He did not suffer life-threatening injuries, and is in fair condition.

In Auburn, New York, a 28-year old man crashed into a tree while playing the game. Auburn Police Chief Shawn Butler revealed that the man received cuts to both legs, but survived.

The Auburn Police Department and the New York Department of Motor Vehicles issued a list of reminders that urge people not to play the game while operating a vehicle, and not to trespass when trying to catch Pokémon.

The game itself contains a reminder to players to be mindful of their surroundings while playing the game.

Police in O'Fallon, Missouri arrested four teenagers suspected of using a beacon in the game to lure players into armed robbery last Sunday.

The Pokémon Go app launched last week in select countries, and was followed by a rise in Nintendo stock. The game has an estimated 21 million daily users in the United States, and is the game with most active users in the United States thus far. It is on track to surpass the number of users of Snapchat.

Sources: Kmov.com (Jonathan Monk), Los Angeles Times (Veronica Rocha), Business Insider (Ben Gilbert) via Hachima Kikō


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