A man and a woman have been held at gunpoint while playing the popular Pokemon Go app south-west of Sydney, NSW Police have said. The pair, who are both aged 29, were using the smartphone app at a skate park at Tahmoor on Wednesday night when they were threatened by two men who had their faces covered.
Local police said a white Toyota Hilux ute blocked the park’s driveway and the couple’s car about 7:30pm. Two men got out and opened the couple’s car door, and threatened them with a rifle before driving away empty-handed.
Detective Inspector Jane Doherty from Camden Local Area Command said the hold-up appeared to have been opportunistic. “We don’t believe the offenders had any interaction with them in relation to the game,” she said.
“They were in a very dark car park … it was very cold that night so there wasn’t anyone else out, they just put themselves in an area where there wasn’t any other people around.”
Police said the attempted robbery was a reminder for anyone playing Pokemon Go, or similar games, to be aware of their surroundings, especially in unfamiliar areas.
“We’ve had reports of people using similar games whilst driving and obviously you’re not paying attention to the road if you’re paying attention to an app.
“Think about what you’re doing – if you wouldn’t do it outside of playing a game then why do it now?” Police are hunting for the gunmen and have urged anyone who knows them to come forward. One man is described as Caucasian, about 190 centimetres tall with a solid build and fair complexion.
He was wearing a dark blue jacket and dark pants. The other man is also described as Caucasian, about 180 centimetres tall with a solid build and fair complexion. He was wearing a dark blue jacket with a high-visibility short underneath, dark pants and work boots.