There is no doubt that South Florida has Pokemon fever. We've been hearing the safety warnings from local law enforcement agencies. And now Boca Raton police are investigating the department's first case of a gamer harmed while out looking for one of the "virtual" monsters.
It happened near the post office in Mizner Park.
The gamers say someone threw a firework at them early Monday morning. Boca Police says it is now looking further into the possibility that those players could have been lured or targeted through the app.
Just a quick stroll through Mizner Park Tuesday night and you’ll find dozens glued to their phones.
Everyone was searching for those little creatures we've come to call Pokemon.
“I’m definitely finding a lot of Pokeman, but I’m not as strong as the other trainers out here,” said one player.
The new Pokemon Go app is sweeping the nation.
And it’s all fun and games.
However, for one Boca man, a night of playing turned into a nightmare.
“The initial reaction was run. You don’t want to be next to that.”
The 27 year-old doesn’t want his name out there for safety reasons, but says he was out with some friends around 2 AM Monday searching for Pokemon.
They were near the post office in Mizner Park and had just taken over what's called a gym, when he says someone threw a large firework at them.
“I was frightened. I was more angry that someone would consider throwing a firework of that size at a group of people.”
While he's not sure, he says it is possible that he could have been targeted while playing the game.
“There’s a feature of the game where you can “lure” someone to a specific spot.”
He also acknowledges that players can be distracted by their phones and become easy targets for criminals.
He's still not sure who tried to attack him, but he wants to share some important advice for others.
“I want them to play safe. I want them to be aware, don’t go into dark areas alone.”
Fortunately, no one was injured in this incident.
The app along with local law enforcement agencies encourage all players to stay alert and be aware while playing.
