Dad of the Kid 'Spider-Man' Rescued from a Balcony Was Out Playing 'Pokémon Go'

On Saturday, a Malian immigrant scaled an apartment building in Paris to rescue a toddler who was dangling from a fourth-floor balcony, becoming an overnight hero after footage of the incredible feat went viral. By Monday, the story had made international headlines and 22-year-old Mamoudou Gassama, dubbed the "Spider-Man of Paris," had been offered French citizenship by President Emmanuel Macron. But one crucial question still hadn't been answered: How the hell did that kid wind up on the balcony in the first place?

According to CNN, the toddler was left home alone while his dad was roaming the streets of Paris playing Pokémon Go. Prosecutor François Molins said the four-year-old's father had gone out shopping when—on his way back from the store—he apparently decided trying to catch a Bulbasaur or whatever was more important than, you know, making sure his toddler was safe. Meanwhile, the kid had fallen from their apartment on the sixth floor, managing to catch himself on the fourth-floor balcony before Gassama saved his life.

Most of the world stopped playing Pokémon Go back in 2016, just a few months after it got people into all kinds of terrible situations when it debuted that July. Players found themselves getting shot at, stabbed, falling into ponds, and traipsing through land mines all in the hopes of catching them all. But apparently not everyone was able to let the fad die out, and now it looks like the kid's father could be facing serious jail time—up to two years behind bars and a $35,000 fine, the BBC reports.

Meanwhile, French authorities have taken custody of the four-year-old while they interview his mother, who's reportedly moving to Paris in June to help raise him. Hopefully, like the rest of us, she's already given up on the mobile craze.

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