FULLERTON, Calif. — They may not have caught any Pokemon, but two Marines still made a critical capture.
Javier Soch, 26, and Seth Ortega, 24, were playing the popular smartphone game “Pokemon Go” in downtown Fullerton, Calif. on Tuesday when they noticed a man who appeared to be frightening a woman and her three sons, the LA Times reported.
The man was wearing a mismatched outfit and appeared fidgety, according to the Marines. The man claimed to be looking for a shelter or cigarettes.
“I said, I don’t have smokes but there’s a police station nearby. If you go, they can point you to resources,” Ortega recalled.
Soch continued to watch the man, keeping distance between them as not to escalate the situation.
The man then approached another woman with her two sons. According to the Marines, he touched one boy’s upper body as he walked and a few minutes later groped another boy’s leg.
Ortega immediately ran to escort the man away, with Soch attending to the two families involved in the incident.
Police arrived and detained the man, who they later found to have a warrant for arrest for attempted murder in Sonoma County.
Soch says the experience has not impacted his enjoyment of the “Pokemon Go” game. He says he is grateful for his military training, which taught him to be constantly aware of his surroundings.
“If I hadn’t looked over to my left and seen this guy who looks out of place, I could have missed it,” Soch said. “The best thing I can say: Remind yourself that you are not in the phone playing the game. Look around and be more aware.”
“The game, when it loads up on the screen, says to be cautious of your surroundings,” Ortega said. “Strongly follow that advice.”
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