'Pokemon Go' craziness continues
- Updated
Arrests, break-ins, robberies and stories you couldn't make up.
- Updated
MISHAWAKA, Ind. (AP) — Police in northern Indiana say a couple playing "Pokemon Go" in a city park was robbed by a man who also is accused of holding up a convenience store and a hotel.
The South Bend Tribune reports (http://bit.ly/29URn3x ) 25-year-old Richard Lima of Mishawaka has been charged with four counts of robbery and one count of intimidation. His initial court hearing is scheduled for Aug. 2. Lima was being held Wednesday on a $10,000 cash bond. Court records do not indicate he has hired an attorney.
Mishawaka police say Lima robbed the couple on Sunday during a string of robberies over six hours. Lima was armed with what appeared to be a firearm, but was later found to be a pellet gun. Police say he threatened to kill his victims.
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Information from: South Bend Tribune, http://www.southbendtribune.com
- Updated
PALM COAST, Fla. (AP) — Authorities say a Florida man fired shots at two late-night "Pokemon Go" players in a car outside his house but no one was injured.
Flagler County Sheriff's Office spokesman James Troiano says in a news release that the homeowner awoke to a noise outside about 1:30 a.m. Saturday and saw a car sitting in the road in front of his house. He told authorities he got a handgun and approached the vehicle.
Troiano says the two teens in the car sped away and the man fired several shots at them.
Later that morning, he says, the mother of one of the teens called the sheriff's office when they realized the car had a flat tire and several bullet holes in it. She told officials the two had been playing the smartphone app.
The release says the investigation is ongoing.
- Updated
AUBURN, N.Y. (AP) — A man is recovering from minor injuries he suffered when he crashed his brother's car into a tree in central New York while playing Pokemon Go on his smartphone.
Police in Auburn in the Finger Lakes region tell The Citizen (http://bit.ly/29IbcyK ) that 28-year-old Steven Cary of Portland, Oregon, crashed late Tuesday night while playing the wildly popular digital-monster cellphone game.
Authorities say Cary suffered a broken ankle and cuts to both legs. Police Chief Shawn Butler says his injuries could've been worse because the impact of the crash nearly sent the engine into the passenger compartment.
Cary was ticketed for using a mobile device while driving and failing to remain in his lane.
Butler says the car, which was totaled, belonged to Cary's brother. The police chief says Cary was visiting his mother at the time of the crash.
- Updated
LAKE VILLA, Ill. (AP) — Police in northern Illinois say two teens were victims of armed robbery while playing the popular cellphone app game "Pokemon Go."
Lake County Sheriff's officials say the robbery happened at about 10 p.m. Thursday in Lake Villa. Police say the teens were walking when a car approached and two men got out. One of the men pulled out a gun and took one the teen's cellphones. The other man took the other teen's cellphone.
Police say the suspects fled in their vehicle. Neither teen was hurt. Sheriff's officials say they're investigating.
Lake Villa is about 50 miles northwest of downtown Chicago.
- Updated
SPRINGFIELD, Ill. (AP) — The Illinois National Guard is barring smartphone-toting players of "Pokemon Go" from its facilities.
National Guard officials said Friday that the public isn't allowed on its facilities statewide to access the virtual Pokestops and gyms that are part of the game.
Guard officials said several players have appeared at the gates of Illinois National Guard facilities and training centers asking for access.
The ban covers Army National Guard, Air National Guard and Illinois Department of Military Affairs properties. It also extends to soldiers, airmen and federal and state employees working on the properties. However, an exception is being made for the Illinois State Military Museum.
Public affairs director Lt. Col. Brad Leighton said the Guard is working to have its facilities removed from the game.
- Updated
WESTPORT, Conn. (AP) — Westport police say two young men looking for Pokemon in the prayer garden of a local Roman Catholic church instead came across a naked woman who was vandalizing the property.
Police tell the Connecticut Post (http://bit.ly/2agi7fR) the men were playing smartphone game "Pokemon Go," which led them into the garden of St. Luke's Church on Wednesday.
They say the naked woman in the garden had pulled lights from the ground, overturned a statue and benches and was throwing garbage from her car into a baptismal pond.
Police were called. The woman, identified only as a 40-year-old Bridgeport resident, was taken to a local hospital for observation. She was not arrested.
Church officials say the damage to the garden can be repaired.
___
Information from: Connecticut Post, http://www.connpost.com
- Updated
MILFORD, Mich. (AP) — A man with a warrant for his arrest was taken into custody after showing up at a Detroit-area police station while playing the "Pokemon Go" game.
The Detroit News reports (http://detne.ws/29Wrl4K ) Milford police say the 26-year-old, who was wearing pajama pants, rode a bike to the Milford station Thursday.
Police Chief Tom Lindberg says officers recognized him because they've had contact with him in previous years. He was booked on a warrant for missing a court date and released. The newspaper says he was originally charged with breaking and entering.
The location-aware smartphone game gives digital incentives like "Pokeballs" as rewards for visiting real places. The locations are known as "Pokestops" and "Gyms." According to Milford police, the station is the site of a "Gym" as part of the game.
___
Information from: The Detroit News, http://detnews.com/
- Updated
NASHUA, N.H. (AP) — Police say a man's body was recovered from a brook behind the New Hampshire Holocaust Memorial after it was spotted by someone playing the smartphone-app game "Pokemon Go."
Lt. Robert Giggi tells WMUR-TV (http://bit.ly/29MAYkH) the player was looking in obscure places in connection with the game Thursday. Giggi said apparently, that's what "brought the person that found the victim to that area."
An autopsy was planned.
The body was found near Rotary Park, the location of the Holocaust memorial. This week, the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum and Arlington National Cemetery requested that smartphone users refrain from "catching" Pokemon when they visit. The museum is a Pokestop — a place where players can get free in-game items.
Last week, a woman playing the game in Wyoming found a man's body in a river.
___
Information from: WMUR-TV, http://wmur.com
- Updated
BERLIN (AP) — German police say they've arrested an 18-year-old man who was wanted for evading a prison sentence after he ventured out to play the newly launched "Pokemon Go" smartphone game with friends.
Police in Trier, on Germany's western border, said the group's "peculiar behavior" as they played the game in the city on Friday prompted officers to check their papers.
The 18-year-old initially gave a false identity but police quickly established that there was an arrest warrant out for him. He was detained and is now serving a six-month prison sentence he had previously avoided serving — police wouldn't specify for what.
The app was officially rolled out in Germany earlier this week.
The game has sparked a frenzy of players wandering around U.S. cities hunting for "pocket monsters" to fight.
- Updated
LAKE RONKONKOMA, N.Y. (AP) — Police on Long Island are investigating an armed robbery in which they say a cellphone was stolen from a man playing the popular "Pokemon Go" game on his smartphone.
Suffolk County police say the 19-year-old man was walking in Lake Ronkonkoma while playing the game Wednesday evening when a car with at least three people pulled up alongside him.
Police say one of the passengers told the victim to give him his cellphone. When the victim hesitated, another passenger showed him a gun and demanded the phone. The victim then handed over the phone and took off.
No arrests have been made, and the investigation is ongoing.
Police across the country are urging Pokemon players to use caution and always pay attention to their surroundings.
- The Associated Press
- Updated
RIVERTON, Wyo. — Authorities have identified the man found dead in a central Wyoming river by a woman playing the popular smartphone game Pokemon Go.
The Riverton Ranger reports that 28-year-old Jeffrey Day's body was found floating in the Wind River near the city of Riverton on Friday. Authorities are awaiting the results of an autopsy to determine the cause of the Arapahoe man's death, but say it appears to have been accidental and could be a drowning.
Shayla Wiggens says she had been playing the new game, which sends players to real-world locations to capture virtual creatures, when she spotted the body in the water near a bridge.
The incident comes as police in Missouri say four teens used Pokemon Go to lure victims to a location and rob them.
___
Information from: The (Riverton, Wyo.) Ranger, http://www.dailyranger.com
- The Associated Press
- Updated
VANCOUVER, Wash. — Authorities in southwest Washington say two brothers came across upon a loaded handgun in a field while playing the popular Pokemon Go game.
The Clark County Sheriff's Office said Tuesday that the young men were on the trail of a virtual Pokemon creature when they found the gun in a field near Vancouver.
They called 911 and waited for a deputy to recover the weapon.
In a news release, Sgt. Fred Neiman said the gun had likely been discarded in the field a while ago; it looked weathered and had some rust but still appeared to be able to fire rounds.
In the free smartphone game, players hike around cities and battle with "pocket monsters," or Pokemon.
MISHAWAKA, Ind. (AP) — Police in northern Indiana say a couple playing "Pokemon Go" in a city park was robbed by a man who also is accused of holding up a convenience store and a hotel.
The South Bend Tribune reports (http://bit.ly/29URn3x ) 25-year-old Richard Lima of Mishawaka has been charged with four counts of robbery and one count of intimidation. His initial court hearing is scheduled for Aug. 2. Lima was being held Wednesday on a $10,000 cash bond. Court records do not indicate he has hired an attorney.
Mishawaka police say Lima robbed the couple on Sunday during a string of robberies over six hours. Lima was armed with what appeared to be a firearm, but was later found to be a pellet gun. Police say he threatened to kill his victims.
___
Information from: South Bend Tribune, http://www.southbendtribune.com
PALM COAST, Fla. (AP) — Authorities say a Florida man fired shots at two late-night "Pokemon Go" players in a car outside his house but no one was injured.
Flagler County Sheriff's Office spokesman James Troiano says in a news release that the homeowner awoke to a noise outside about 1:30 a.m. Saturday and saw a car sitting in the road in front of his house. He told authorities he got a handgun and approached the vehicle.
Troiano says the two teens in the car sped away and the man fired several shots at them.
Later that morning, he says, the mother of one of the teens called the sheriff's office when they realized the car had a flat tire and several bullet holes in it. She told officials the two had been playing the smartphone app.
The release says the investigation is ongoing.
AUBURN, N.Y. (AP) — A man is recovering from minor injuries he suffered when he crashed his brother's car into a tree in central New York while playing Pokemon Go on his smartphone.
Police in Auburn in the Finger Lakes region tell The Citizen (http://bit.ly/29IbcyK ) that 28-year-old Steven Cary of Portland, Oregon, crashed late Tuesday night while playing the wildly popular digital-monster cellphone game.
Authorities say Cary suffered a broken ankle and cuts to both legs. Police Chief Shawn Butler says his injuries could've been worse because the impact of the crash nearly sent the engine into the passenger compartment.
Cary was ticketed for using a mobile device while driving and failing to remain in his lane.
Butler says the car, which was totaled, belonged to Cary's brother. The police chief says Cary was visiting his mother at the time of the crash.
LAKE VILLA, Ill. (AP) — Police in northern Illinois say two teens were victims of armed robbery while playing the popular cellphone app game "Pokemon Go."
Lake County Sheriff's officials say the robbery happened at about 10 p.m. Thursday in Lake Villa. Police say the teens were walking when a car approached and two men got out. One of the men pulled out a gun and took one the teen's cellphones. The other man took the other teen's cellphone.
Police say the suspects fled in their vehicle. Neither teen was hurt. Sheriff's officials say they're investigating.
Lake Villa is about 50 miles northwest of downtown Chicago.
SPRINGFIELD, Ill. (AP) — The Illinois National Guard is barring smartphone-toting players of "Pokemon Go" from its facilities.
National Guard officials said Friday that the public isn't allowed on its facilities statewide to access the virtual Pokestops and gyms that are part of the game.
Guard officials said several players have appeared at the gates of Illinois National Guard facilities and training centers asking for access.
The ban covers Army National Guard, Air National Guard and Illinois Department of Military Affairs properties. It also extends to soldiers, airmen and federal and state employees working on the properties. However, an exception is being made for the Illinois State Military Museum.
Public affairs director Lt. Col. Brad Leighton said the Guard is working to have its facilities removed from the game.
WESTPORT, Conn. (AP) — Westport police say two young men looking for Pokemon in the prayer garden of a local Roman Catholic church instead came across a naked woman who was vandalizing the property.
Police tell the Connecticut Post (http://bit.ly/2agi7fR) the men were playing smartphone game "Pokemon Go," which led them into the garden of St. Luke's Church on Wednesday.
They say the naked woman in the garden had pulled lights from the ground, overturned a statue and benches and was throwing garbage from her car into a baptismal pond.
Police were called. The woman, identified only as a 40-year-old Bridgeport resident, was taken to a local hospital for observation. She was not arrested.
Church officials say the damage to the garden can be repaired.
___
Information from: Connecticut Post, http://www.connpost.com
MILFORD, Mich. (AP) — A man with a warrant for his arrest was taken into custody after showing up at a Detroit-area police station while playing the "Pokemon Go" game.
The Detroit News reports (http://detne.ws/29Wrl4K ) Milford police say the 26-year-old, who was wearing pajama pants, rode a bike to the Milford station Thursday.
Police Chief Tom Lindberg says officers recognized him because they've had contact with him in previous years. He was booked on a warrant for missing a court date and released. The newspaper says he was originally charged with breaking and entering.
The location-aware smartphone game gives digital incentives like "Pokeballs" as rewards for visiting real places. The locations are known as "Pokestops" and "Gyms." According to Milford police, the station is the site of a "Gym" as part of the game.
___
Information from: The Detroit News, http://detnews.com/
NASHUA, N.H. (AP) — Police say a man's body was recovered from a brook behind the New Hampshire Holocaust Memorial after it was spotted by someone playing the smartphone-app game "Pokemon Go."
Lt. Robert Giggi tells WMUR-TV (http://bit.ly/29MAYkH) the player was looking in obscure places in connection with the game Thursday. Giggi said apparently, that's what "brought the person that found the victim to that area."
An autopsy was planned.
The body was found near Rotary Park, the location of the Holocaust memorial. This week, the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum and Arlington National Cemetery requested that smartphone users refrain from "catching" Pokemon when they visit. The museum is a Pokestop — a place where players can get free in-game items.
Last week, a woman playing the game in Wyoming found a man's body in a river.
___
Information from: WMUR-TV, http://wmur.com
BERLIN (AP) — German police say they've arrested an 18-year-old man who was wanted for evading a prison sentence after he ventured out to play the newly launched "Pokemon Go" smartphone game with friends.
Police in Trier, on Germany's western border, said the group's "peculiar behavior" as they played the game in the city on Friday prompted officers to check their papers.
The 18-year-old initially gave a false identity but police quickly established that there was an arrest warrant out for him. He was detained and is now serving a six-month prison sentence he had previously avoided serving — police wouldn't specify for what.
The app was officially rolled out in Germany earlier this week.
The game has sparked a frenzy of players wandering around U.S. cities hunting for "pocket monsters" to fight.
LAKE RONKONKOMA, N.Y. (AP) — Police on Long Island are investigating an armed robbery in which they say a cellphone was stolen from a man playing the popular "Pokemon Go" game on his smartphone.
Suffolk County police say the 19-year-old man was walking in Lake Ronkonkoma while playing the game Wednesday evening when a car with at least three people pulled up alongside him.
Police say one of the passengers told the victim to give him his cellphone. When the victim hesitated, another passenger showed him a gun and demanded the phone. The victim then handed over the phone and took off.
No arrests have been made, and the investigation is ongoing.
Police across the country are urging Pokemon players to use caution and always pay attention to their surroundings.
- The Associated Press
RIVERTON, Wyo. — Authorities have identified the man found dead in a central Wyoming river by a woman playing the popular smartphone game Pokemon Go.
The Riverton Ranger reports that 28-year-old Jeffrey Day's body was found floating in the Wind River near the city of Riverton on Friday. Authorities are awaiting the results of an autopsy to determine the cause of the Arapahoe man's death, but say it appears to have been accidental and could be a drowning.
Shayla Wiggens says she had been playing the new game, which sends players to real-world locations to capture virtual creatures, when she spotted the body in the water near a bridge.
The incident comes as police in Missouri say four teens used Pokemon Go to lure victims to a location and rob them.
___
Information from: The (Riverton, Wyo.) Ranger, http://www.dailyranger.com
- The Associated Press
VANCOUVER, Wash. — Authorities in southwest Washington say two brothers came across upon a loaded handgun in a field while playing the popular Pokemon Go game.
The Clark County Sheriff's Office said Tuesday that the young men were on the trail of a virtual Pokemon creature when they found the gun in a field near Vancouver.
They called 911 and waited for a deputy to recover the weapon.
In a news release, Sgt. Fred Neiman said the gun had likely been discarded in the field a while ago; it looked weathered and had some rust but still appeared to be able to fire rounds.
In the free smartphone game, players hike around cities and battle with "pocket monsters," or Pokemon.
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