Heroes, Hilarity and Danger: California's Bizarre Week of Pokémon GO

This week, California fell hard for “Pokémon GO.” Some fell harder than others.

There’s no official tracking of Pokémon-caused emergency room visits, but Patch’s unofficial tally makes it clear: it can be dangerous when ‘augmented reality’ collides with the cold hard kind. This week Patch wrote about Pokémon GO players who fell over cliffs, stumbled onto a dead body, got robbed, carjacked and stabbed while chasing down Pokémon on their phones. Just as bad, reporters discovered one Pokémon GO stop that sends players to a group home for sex offenders.

But those fuzzy furballs didn’t just lead players to their peril.

The game created heroes, too. Two marines playing the game saved children from a man in a park who was allegedly touching them and who turned out to be wanted for attempted murder.

It got millions of people out in the fresh air - kids and adults alike giggled like children, entranced in a game of make-believe.

Police scrambled to teach players how to keep safe while having fun, and parents, likewise learned how to protect their kids while turning the Pokémon GO craze into quality family time.

Here's your roundup of California's unbelievable week in “Pokémon GO.”

• 2 Pokemon Go Players Fall From Encinitas Cliff: Report
  
• Pokemon Go Leads To Apprehension of Attempted Murder Suspect
  
• Suspects in San Francisco Pokémon Go, Other Robberies Arrested
  
• 2 Men Playing Pokémon Go Victims of Assault, Attempted Robbery: Sheriff
  
• Body Found by Pokemon Go Players in San Diego Park
  
• Real-Life Robbers May Have Set 'Pokemon Go' Digital Trap: Police
  
• 'No Pokemon And Driving': Coronado Police
  
• SoCal 'Pokeman Go' Game Players May Have Uncovered Attempted Murder Suspect Arrested In Sonoma
  
• Should You Let Your Kids Play Pokémon Go? Why a Mom of Tweens Says Yes
  
• Top Five Twitter Hashtag 'Pokemon Go Made Me' Hilarious Tweets
  
• How to Play Pokemon Go Safely: These Safety Tips Will Add to Your Gaming Fun