TOLEDO, OH (WTOL) - The two people accused of jumping a fence at the Toledo Zoo to play the popular mobile game Pokemon Go have plead not guilty.
Police say Robin Bartholomy, 25, and Adrian Crawford, 26, are charged with criminal trespassing. Police say they jumped the fence around 2:30 a.m. Thursday. According to the police report, officers spotted the two on a security camera. They were then apprehended near the tiger exhibit.
Bartholomy made this post just days before her arrest:
Wednesday, the game surpassed Candy Crush as the biggest mobile game in history.And one of the hot spots in our area to play the game is at the Toledo Zoo.
The zoo is a veritable treasure trove for players of Pokemon Go, as the game uses defined landmarks and various terrain to spawn the creatures in the real world. Hundreds of people make their way there daily, but not all are there for the animals.
"There are a lot of Poke-Stops everywhere," said avid Pokemon Go player, Devin Mason. "There's a lot of memorials, there's a lot of different places you can go to the cafe here, the Tembo trail, and the zoo has random terrain everywhere, so random Pokemon always randomly appear."
The Toledo Zoo welcomes visitors who may be coming to the zoo to play Pokemon Go, as long as they acknowledge the barriers and safety measures set up to keep visitors safe.
"Obviously we welcome all guests to attend the zoo and if they're playing Pokemon, that's fine with us as well," said Shayla Bell Moriarty, Director of Communication at the Toledo Zoo.
Bartholomy says she regrets trespassing, but had to catch them all.
"I was just hanging out with my friend, we were playing Pokemon Go at Walbridge Park and we were just like, 'Hey, I got a crazy idea. Let's jump the fence!'" she said.
Criminal trespassing ranges from a Fourth degree to a First degree misdemeanor in Ohio and could mean jail time of 30 to 180 days - a price this Pokemaster says is not worth the catch.
"It doesn't matter if it's a Charizard, don't break into people's property to catch it," said Bartholomy.
In court Friday, both Bartholomy and Crawford plead not guilty.
