Pokémon Doh! Sarasota Player Busted with Cocaine, Pot, Xanax, Hash Oil, Deputies Say

SARASOTA, FL — It’s unclear if a Sarasota man managed to capture any Pokémon during an early Monday morning trip to Urfer Park, but deputies say they snagged a big catch.

According to the Sarasota County Sheriff’s Office, deputies spotted two vehicles parked at Urfer Park, 4000 Honore Ave., just after midnight Monday, Oct. 3. The deputies checked out the vehicles and made contact with Guillermo Cava-Nunez, 20, according to an arrest report.

Cava-Nunez told deputies he was at the park with his girlfriend, the occupant of the second vehicle, to play Pokémon Go. Cava-Nunez said he was unaware the park was closed, the arrest report noted.

During the discussion, the deputy smelled marijuana and asked Cava-Nunez if he had anything illegal in the car, the report said. Cava-Nunez said no, but the deputy asked him to step out of the vehicle anyway.

“He became extremely nervous and then asked if he could tell me where everything was and what I would find,” the arrest report said. Cava-Nunez proceeded to point out a black brief case on the passenger floor board, the report said.

Inside that case, the deputy found three baggies of marijuana, two baggies containing Xanax, a scale, extra baggies and two bags of hash oil, the report noted. More hash oil was found in a backpack in the back seat and the report said a baggie with cocaine was found in Cava-Nunez’s wallet.

Cava-Nunez now faces possession of marijuana, possession of hash oil, possession of a control substance with intent to sell, possession of cocaine and possession of paraphernalia charges, according to the sheriff’s office.

For those who haven’t caught Pokémon fever, the game, which swept the country over the summer, works by having players move through the real world. As they do, their smartphones vibrate to let them know when a Pokémon is near.

Players then throw a PokéBall to catch it and add it to their PokéDex. The game uses a smartphone’s GPS and camera to turn the real world into a gigantic scavenger hunt.

In each town nationwide, developers have added PokéStops— from libraries and churches to public art installations, historical markers and monuments. An in-game item called a “Lure Module” attracts Pokémon to a PokeStop for 30 minutes and they're visible and attainable to everyone nearby.

Booking photo courtesy of the Sarasota County Sheriff’s Office