Making Fun of Pokémon Players Leads to Fistfight: Cops

TINLEY PARK, IL — A Pokémon player ended up in a real-life fistfight after a Tinley Park man made fun of him, police said.

Carlos De La Cruz, 19, was playing Pokémon with a group near Zabrocki Plaza shortly after 8 p.m. Aug. 12 when 21-year-old Christian Anderson “walked past” and “started making remarks” as he headed toward his truck, police said.

“Christian then started his truck and was revving his engine to further instigate the situation and stated, ‘You can put your Pokémon in my tailpipe,’” police said.

“Carlos then walked over and approached Christian, who was now outside his truck,” police said. “There was a short verbal argument before the fight turned physical” and the cops showed up.

De La Cruz, a Markham resident, was cut and bleeding by his right eye, police said, and Anderson had a bleeding cut near his left eye.

Both De La Cruz and Anderson received tickets for allegedly fighting in public.