This is my sixth
annual round-up of reports of tampered Halloween treats, presented in roughly
chronological order. Some reports are later revealed as hoaxes in articles
farther on down the page. I make no
claim that this collection is complete.
North Bay Today [Ontario]
28 October 2015
Warning to parents this
Halloween! Last year's criminals still at large.
People planting blades in
treats have not been caught
by: Jeff Turl
Last Halloween in North Bay, kids out trick or
treating found chocolate bars that contained razor-blade like objects.
The people that did it are still at large, and police
have not been able to trace which homes the tampered candy came from. […]
The Columbus Dispatch [OH]
30 October 2015
Reynoldsburg police: Razor
blade found in Halloween candy
By Brenda Jackson
Reynoldsburg police are asking parents of children who
trick-or-treated in the suburb to check all candy tonight, after a razor blade
was found in a candy bar.
Lt. Shane Mauger said police have no reason to believe
the situation was a hoax. He said that the razor blade was in a Snickers bar.
[…]
The Columbus Dispatch [OH]
30 October 2015
Razor blade report causing a
trick-or-treat tizzy
By Holly Zachariah
The Columbus Dispatch
It’s only mid-morning and the woman answering the
phone at the Reynoldsburg Police Department already sounds weary.
The phone hasn’t stopped ringing all morning with people
wanting to know more about that razor blade that a child said she found in a
Snickers bar collected during trick-or-treating on Thursday night. Parents are
calling, officials in other cities are calling, reporters from across the
country are calling.
And Police Lt. Shane Mauger is telling everyone the
same thing: “What we have right now is an isolated incident. No one needs to
panic. Parents should just be vigilant.”
Mauger said police were called Thursday night after
“an older child” — a police report says she’s 14 — bit into the candy bar and
noticed something amiss.
It was, Mauger said, a sliver of razor blade, the kind
that would come if someone tore apart a disposable razor and removed one of the
pieces inside. He said the sergeant who responded to the home and took the
report is a 30-year veteran and he doesn’t think this is a hoax. […]
Metro News [Charleston, WV]
30 October 2015
Police investigate suspicious
Halloween candy
By Chris Lawrence
SOUTH CHARLESTON, W.Va. — Three girls received more
than they thought while trick-or-treating in South Charleston Thursday night. Police say the girls found shards of glass
in candy they were given while going door-to-door in the Armour View
subdivision.
“They don’t have a specific house or anything like
that,” said Detective Jonathan Halstead of the South Charleston Police Department.
“Just in the Armour View subdivision.”
The subdivision includes hundreds of homes which saw a
high volume of trick or treaters Thursday night. The three girls who found the suspicious
candy were actually in a group of approximately seven all of them were middle
school age.
“One girl didn’t have a bag and was using her jacket, she
put her hand in her pocket and found about five pieces of glass in with her
candy,” said Halstead. “The second teen found a piece of candy with glass and
hair throughout and the third girl located another one in a piece of candy in
her candy bag when she got home.” […]
CBC News
31 October 2015
Trick-or-treaters
accidentally given bipolar meds at Quebec store
Police say prescription drugs
in individual blister packs made way into candy bowl
Some children in Quebec City got an unintended
Halloween trick — that police said wasn't dangerous — when bipolar medication
was accidentally mixed into a candy basket at a local grocery store.
Const. Melissa Cliche of Quebec City police said a
customer had ordered the prescription for her son at the store's pharmacy
counter and then dropped it on the way out.
Another client found the medication on the floor and
put it on the counter, next to a candy basket. "So, unfortunately, we
don't know how, an employee just mixed it with the candy by accident and
distributed it to the kids," Cliche said.
Seven pills, each wrapped in an individual blister
package, were given to trick-or-treating children.
Police said the pills aren't dangerous, but if
ingested they could produce minor side effects such as trembling, nausea and
drowsiness.
CBS Boston
1 November 2015
Cough Syrup Given Out To
North Reading Trick-Or-Treaters
NORTH READING (CBS) — Police in North Reading are
urging parents to check their children’s candy after discovering that one house
was apparently giving out cough syrup on Halloween night.
A Facebook post from police said that a residence in
the Olde Farm Lane area left out children’s cough syrup samples for
trick-or-treaters.
Officers recovered the box and identified the cough
syrup as Hyland’s 4 Kids Cold ‘n Mucus.
“If your kids were trick or treating in this area
tonight, please check to make sure they did not take any of these samples,”
police said. […]
WLS-TV [Chicago]
1 November 2015
Police: Needles reportedly
found in Kennett Square Halloween candy
KENNETT SQUARE, Pa. -- Police in Kennett Square,
Chester County are investigating reports of sewing needles found inside the
Halloween candy of multiple children.
Police received the report at midnight Sunday.
A man told police sewing type needles were found
inside five wrapped Twix candy bars given to four different children from
different households as they were trick-or-treating on Halloween.
The children had been going door to door in the
Stenning Hills area of the Borough which roughly borders South Union Street and
West South Street.
Police say the man reporting the incident said he saw
a Facebook post from an unknown source describing their Snickers candy had
needles in it.
This post lead him to check his children's candy and
discovered the sewing type needles in the Twix snack size candy. […]
Poughkeepsie Journal [NY]
1 November 2015
Police investigating report
of contaminated candy from Galleria Mall
Amanda J Purcell
Town of Poughkeepsie police are urging parents to
check their children's Halloween candy after a parent reportedly found a pill inside
a Snickers bar.
Joann Turner of Wappingers Falls said her 13-year-old
daughter was looking through her candy she received while trick-or-treating at
the Galleria Mall on South Road Saturday when she found an opened Snickers bar.
Her mother went over to take a look.
“It was separated at the ends,” she said. “It looked
like it was carefully opened and slipped back in. The ends had been sliced with
something like a razor or a knife.”
Inside the wrapper, Turner said she noticed the candy
had been cut horizontally. When she pulled it apart, she found a pink pill
inside. […]
WBNS-TV [Columbus, OH]
30 November 2015
Hebron Police: Candy Not
Contaminated With Pot
The Hebron Police Department says it is testing
Halloween candy that may have been laced with marijuana.
Authorities say the investigation comes after they
received a report from a local resident that possible tainted candy from a
"munch mix" was distributed during trick-or-treating Thursday night.
Police say the candy in question has been submitted
for laboratory examination and the results will be known later today. We will have the results of those tests when
they are announced on 10TV.com. […]
HEBRON, Ohio - Update - Friday 4 p.m.:
The Hebron Police Department is reporting that no
pieces of candy were contaminated or tainted by marijuana or any other foreign
substances.
The department said it will continue its investigation
into the matter to determine if it was a hoax perpetrated on social media. […]
Mass Live [MA]
1 November 2015
Chicopee child finds needle
or pin in Halloween candy
By Jeanette DeForge
CHICOPEE – A family reported finding a pin or needle
stuck in a chocolate bar given out to a child trick-or-treating on Saturday
night.
The candy was given out some place in the Granby Road
or East Street area where the family went trick-or-treating, Michael Wilk,
public information officer for the Chicopee Police Department. […]
Lloydminster Meridian Booster [Alberta]
1 November 2015
Pill located inside Halloween
Candy
By Taylor Weaver
The following is a statement from the Lloydminter [sic]
RCMP:
Lloydminster, Alberta - On November 1, 2015,
Lloydminster RCMP received two complaints of pills being located inside of
children's candy bags. The first was a
blister pack filled with medication. The second was when a child bit into a
snickers bar and found a round white pill inside the chocolate bar.
The pill was stamped with APO. The child did not
ingest the pill and gave it to her parents immediately. Upon a closer look it appeared as though the
package had been opened and resealed. […]
KFYR-TV [Bismarck, ND]
1 November 2015
Bismarck Mother says her
Child Got a Bag of Pills and Candy While Trick-or-treating
A Bismarck mother is warning parents to check their
children's Halloween candy after her child was given a baggy of pills and candy
while trick-or-treating.
The mom wrote in a Facebook post that her child got an
EZY dose pill bag containing four gummy candies, an antihistamine, acid reflex
medication, anti anxiety medication, type 2 diabetes medication and a
multivitamin. […]
WWLP-TV [Chicopee, MA]
1 November 2015
Springfield woman the latest
to find tainted Halloween candy
Matt Caron
SPRINGFIELD, Mass. (WWLP) – Multiple reports of
tainted Halloween candy have come in across the state. A Springfield mom
contacted 22News after finding a needle in her daughter’s candy bar.
We visited the apartment of Ennette Figueroa, where
she showed us what appeared to be a sewing needle. She says she found the
needle sticking through the wrapping of her daughter’s Crunch candy bar. She wanted
a piece of Halloween candy after finishing her dinner.
Figueroa, her mother, cousin, sister and daughter all
went trick-or-treating Halloween night in East Longmeadow. That’s where she
says she was given the candy. […]
http://www.nwahomepage.com/news/breaking-fayetteville-police-investigating-needle-found-in-candy-bar
KNWA-TV [AR]
1 November 2015
Fayetteville Police
Investigating Needle Found in Candy Bar
Angela Witt-Smith, a mother who took her children
trick-or-treating in Goshen, filed a police report Sunday, noting four needles
found in her child's Halloween candy.
Witt-Smith said she took her kids trick-or-treating at
a subdivision off of highway 45 on the way to Goshen. She said her daughter
later bit down on a needle in a Kit-Kat bar. […]
The Morning Journal [Lorain, OH]
1 November 2015
Metal object found in candy
bar in Lorain
By Staff report, The Morning Journal
A metal object that looked like a needle was found in
a Baby Ruth candy bar during trick-or-treating on Halloween in Lorain Oct. 31.
According to the Lorain Police Department’s Facebook
page, no one was injured by the needle, but police are recommending that
parents check their children’s candy before allowing them to eat it.
The candy bar was given out between Oberlin Avenue and
Leavitt Avenue from West Erie Avenue to West 10th Street. […]
CBC News
1 November 2015
Winnipeg mom finds needle in
child's candy, warns parents to check
A Winnipeg mom is warning parents to carefully examine
Halloween candy after she found a sewing needle poking out of a small chocolate
bar her daughter collected on Saturday night.
Jennifer Tichborne said the candy's wrapper looked
like it had been tampered with and when her daughter broke the chocolate bar in
half, she saw the needle. Its eye still had thread attached. […]
CBC News
2 November 2015
Razor blades found in
Halloween chocolate in Niagara: police
Niagara Regional are asking
for the public's help with their investigation
The Canadian Press
Police are investigating after razor blades were
discovered in Halloween candy in southwestern Ontario.
Niagara Regional police say a child in Thorold, Ont.,
bit into a chocolate bar after returning home and felt something solid within
the treat.
They say the child stopped chewing and spit out the
bar, which revealed a razor blade that appeared to come from a disposable
shaving razor.
In another incident a child bit into an O'Henry!
chocolate bar after trick-or-treating in St. Catharines, Ont., and bit into
something made of metal, which turned out to be a razor blade.
Police say neither child was hurt and are asking
parents to examine candy wrappers for tampering. […]
Boston Herald
2 November 2015
Auburn police: No charges for
girl, 11, who faked razor in candy
Laurel J. Sweet
Auburn police will not charge an 11-year-old girl who
falsely told police she was given a Hershey’s chocolate bar with a razor blade
Saturday night — a report that was then widely circulated on social media.
“We could have submitted the complaint to juvenile
court, but it would be referred back to the parent anyway,” Auburn Detective
Sgt. Scott Mills told the Herald this morning. “All in all, it was handled
correctly on all levels. Kids make mistakes. If a kid robs a convenience store
— well, that’s not a mistake we can overlook.”
After the girl’s mother told police her daughter said
she was given the candy while trick-or-treating, Auburn police put out a
warning on Facebook and Twitter Saturday night with a photo of the chocolate
and blade, warning parents to “double check children’s candy to be safe.” The
report was then widely circulated. […]
By yesterday, the incident had been determined to be a
hoax.
The girl got the razor by cracking open a pencil
sharpener with a butter knife, Mills said. […]
WNCN-TV [Raleigh, NC]
2 November 2015
Needle hidden in Halloween
candy sticks NC teen, police report says
By WNCN Staff
ROXBORO, N.C. (WNCN) – A 14-year-old Roxboro teen was
stuck with a needle when she took a bite of a candy bar she received when trick
or treating, a sheriff’s office report showed.
The teen’s parent called the Person County Sheriff
Office to report a needle hidden in a Snicker’s bar had stuck her daughter in
the roof her mouth. […]
KYW-TV [Philadelphia]
2 November 2015
Police Arrest NJ Man For
False Report Of Needles In Candy Bars
GLOUCESTER TOWNSHIP, N.J. (CBS) — Police in our area
are investigating multiple reports of people finding needles or pins in their
Halloween candy, but police in a South Jersey town say one man’s claim turned
out to be false.
A picture of four sewing needles in four pieces of
candy, is what Gloucester Township Police say Robert Ledrew of Blackwood posted
on Facebook Saturday night.
“Not the type of thing you want to hear with your
children’s candy over Halloween.”
Captain Anthony Minosse says Ledrew then reported this
tainted candy to police on Sunday.
Then, after detectives spoke with Ledrew, “They
discovered upon questioning the male that he indeed made up the story.”
Minossse says Ledrew actually put the needles in
himself, and the reason he gives them is that he was trying to teach his kids a
lesson to be careful with their candy.
But Ledrew was arrested and charged with making a
false police report, Minosse says his lesson continues in court at a future
date.
Tucson News Now
2 November 2015
Tucson mom finds pills in
child's Halloween candy
By Kristin Haubrich
TUCSON, AZ (Tucson News Now) - A Tucson woman was
shocked to find a bottle of pills in the middle of her daughter's Halloween
candy.
Ashley Johnson's 5-year-old daughter was excited to
empty out her trick-or-treat bag and show off her big pile of candy.
But as Johnson helped her sort it piece by piece they
came across something that didn't belong - a bottle of Dramamine.
It's a drug used to help with motion sickness. But it
can be very harmful to children. It can cause hallucinations and seizures.
Johnson said there were six pills left in the bottle. […]
The News [New Glasgow, NS]
2 November 2015
RCMP investigating object
found in Pictou Halloween candy
Pictou District RCMP are investigating a complaint of
a metal object inside a Halloween-size candy bar.
On Sunday, Nov. 1 at approximately 1 p.m., a
15-year-old female discovered a piece of flexible metal strip inside a small
candy bar after opening the wrapper. […]
Const. Mark Skinner, media relations officer, said
they don’t believe it was placed there maliciously, and that it may have
happened during the manufacturing process. […]
Kamloops This Week [BC]
2 November 2015
Mom finds needle in Halloween
candy; Kamloops RCMP investigating
Police are investigating a report of tainted candy
after a North Kamloops parent found a sewing needle stuck inside a chocolate
bar.
Jennifer Suzanne posted video of the tainted candy on
a popular Facebook page called Kamloops Shoplifters and Thieves Exposed. […]
CBC News
2 November 2015
Thumbtack in Halloween candy
prompts warning from Toronto police
Police warning parents to be
vigilant about checking chocolate and candy
CBC News
Toronto police issued a warning to parents after a
thumbtack was discovered inside a Halloween chocolate bar in the city's east
end on Monday.
Police said the incident occurred in the Eastwood Road
and Woodbine Avenue area, in the upper Beaches neighbourhood.
A photo of the candy shows the thumbtack pressed into
a Kit-Kat bar. […]
CBS Minnesota
2 November 2015
Brainerd Police: Needle Found
In Candy Revealed As Hoax
MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) — Brainerd police say the incident
of a needle found inside a piece of candy on Halloween has been revealed as a
hoax.
According to police, the child involved in the story
fabricated the incident.
On Sunday, police posted a photo on Facebook and said
they got a call from someone who found a needle in their child’s candy. The
image shows what appears to be a needle in a fun-size Three Musketeers bar.
The caller said they had been trick-or-treating in
north Brainerd, near the hospital, and in northeast Brainerd.
“The Brainerd Police Department wants to dispel any
public safety concerns there may be. Authorities in our area have received no
other reports of any tampering with candy or immediate concerns or dangers,”
police said in a statement.
KHON2-TV [Honolulu, Hawaii]
2 November 2015
Honolulu police investigate
cases involving tampered Halloween candy
By Manolo Morales
If there’s still Halloween candy left in the house,
you might want to give it an even closer look before anyone eats it.
Honolulu police are investigating three incidents of
needles and other sharp objects found inside candy bars that were given out on
Halloween. […]
Boston Globe
3 November 2015
Toilet disks found in
Halloween candy bags in Hopkinton
By Alexandra Koktsidis
Hopkinton police said they are investigating two
separate reports of toilet tank cleaner disks found in children’s Halloween
candy bags.
Parents of a 14-year-old and a 6-year-old reported the
disks on Sunday after inspecting the candy bags, police said in a press release
Monday. Neither child consumed the cleaner.
The children were trick-or-treating in the downtown
area on Saturday, and the investigation is ongoing, police said. […]
WHDH-TV [Boston]
2 November 2015
Police: Razor found in bag of
Halloween candy in Hudson, N.H.
HUDSON, N.H. (WHDH) -
A razor blade was allegedly found in a bag of
Halloween candy in Hudson, New Hampshire.
Police said they received a call from a resident at
Elmwood Village, who claimed to have found a razor blade in their child's bag
of Halloween candy. The child had gone trick-or-treating in the area of Elmwood
Village and other adjacent neighborhoods. […]
KXAS-TV [Fort Worth, TX]
2 November 2015
Fort Worth Children Find
Staples in Halloween Candy
By Scott Gordon
Two children in a North Fort Worth neighborhood found
staples in their Halloween candy over the weekend, and now police are
investigating.
Nine-year-old Caden Faris said he first noticed
something unusual about a Reese's peanut butter cup.
"When I opened it I found a tiny hole in the
bottom," Faris said. "So I showed my mom and she said to crack it
open. So when I cracked it open, there was a staple pointing out of it."
His mother, Jessica Faris, said she then found a
second staple in a second piece of chocolate.
She warned a neighbor, who reported finding a third
staple in her daughter's candy. […]
NECN [MA]
2 November 2015
Cops: Mom Suspected Irritant
From Halloween Candy, Took Kids to ER
Hingham Police said a Hingham mother reported that she
sought medical treatment for her children after she suspected they were exposed
to an irritant from Halloween candy.
Sunday, police said a resident called to report taking
her two children, ages 5 and 9, to South Shore Hospital.
Authorities said the Hingham, Mass., resident said
emergency room staff told her it appeared the children had been exposed to an
irritant.
Police said the mother reported that the children had
been trading Halloween candy earlier in the day, and later they began showing
irritation symptoms: red and glassy swollen and stinging eyes. […]
WCMH-TV [Columbus, OH]
2 November 2015
Marysville Police
investigating reports of tainted candy
MARYSVILLE, Ohio (WCMH)– More candy concerns after
reports of tainted Halloween candy, this time out of Marysville.
Police are investigating two incidents, both from
candy they were told was collected Saturday night in the Mill Valley
neighborhood.
Last week Reynoldsburg Police said a razor blade was
found in a candy bar.
Ula Clarke says, “I don’t think my kids are going to
Trick-or-Treat anymore.”
It was scary for the Marysville grandmother of seven,
after her daughter-in-law found something in her grandkids’ Halloween candy.
“It could have been an aspirin or some kind of a speed
or a hallucinogenic or anything,” says Clarke.
The kids went trick or treating Halloween night.
Clarke says she’d suggested the Mill Valley neighborhood, just north of
Marysville. The next morning she says her daughter-in-law bit into a small
candy bar she thought the kids had opened. Inside, Clarke says, she found what
appeared to be some sort of pill. […]
WXIN-TV [Indianapolis, IN]
2 November 2015
Winchester woman finds knife
blade in son’s Halloween candy
by Kylee Wierks
RANDOLPH COUNTY, Ind. (November 2, 2015) – The
Winchester Police Department is investigating a report of a knife blade inside
a piece of candy.
According to police, they were dispatched to a home in
Winchester because a mother located a razor blade in her son’s candy and she
wanted to speak with an officer.
The officer that responded found a utility knife blade
sticking out of a piece of a candy bar. […]
http://nj1015.com/mom-reports-sharp-metal-in-nj-halloween-candy/
New Jersey 101.5 | 2 November 2015
Mom reports sharp metal in NJ
halloween candy
By Dan Alexander
A South Jersey mom reports she found a sharp object in
her kids Halloween candy, and police near Philadelphia are investigating
tampering instances in their area.
Michelle Garwood posted on her Facebook pictures of a
Snickers Almond bar with a sharp object inside.
“This was in my children’s Halloween candy. We went
trick or treating in Woodbury Heights in the summit by St. Margaret’s (Regional
School). I could not believe as we go trick or treating there every year with
no problems,” Garwood wrote.
She also wrote that she called Woodbury Heights Police
and would bringing the candy to them in person on Monday.
Woodbury Heights Police confirmed on their Facebook
page they received a call about “a needle or pin” in a bag of candy, though the
person who called hadn’t yet brought it in. The caller said she had been
trick-or-treating in the 100 and 200 block of Central Ave as well as Second
Street, Linden Avenue and Beech Avenue of Woodbury Heights, police said. […]
WMDT-TV [Salisbury, MD]
2 November 2015
Salisbury PD, FBI
investigating needle found in Halloween candy
Chris Scalice
SALISBURY, Md. - Police in Salisbury are now working
with federal investigators after a needle was found in a piece of Halloween
candy.
According to Salisbury PD, on Sunday, officers
responded to Grant Avenue for a report that a child's Halloween candy was had a
sewing needle in it. Police say the needle was found inside of a single piece
of a Twizzler brand candy by a 15-year-old while they were eating it. The child
was not hurt.
Reports say the candy's wrapper appeared to be intact.
[…]
KFOR-TV [Oklahoma City, OK]
2 November 2015
“I was shocked,” Family says
they discovered pills inside Halloween candy
by KFOR-TV & K. Querry
SACRAMENTO, Calif. - Mya Ogg says she has always loved
Halloween but doesn't want to go trick-or-treating ever again.
This year, Ogg was going through her haul of Halloween
candy when she spotted something strange about a Tootsie Roll.
"It looked already opened, so I unwrapped it and
I saw the pills," Ogg told FOX 40. "I was shocked. I wasn't that much
scared, but I was shocked that somebody would do that to endanger a kid's life.
And not only me, he could've handed it out to plenty of other kids."
The family says its has no idea what type of pills
were in the candy or whether they are potentially harmful. […]
CFAX 1070 Radio [Victoria, BC]
2 November 2015
Needle found in Halloween
candy collected in Colwood
from Kyle Reynolds
A Colwood family has discovered a three-inch sewing
needle inside a piece of Halloween candy.
The needle was found by two parents inside a small
Wonderbar chocolate collected by their four-year old son from a home near
Woodpark Drive in Colwood. […]
Merritt Herald [BC]
2 November 2015
Razor blades found in
Halloween candy
An 11-year-old trick-or-treater from the Diamond Vale
area discovered razor blades in his Halloween candy.
According to the RCMP, it appears that they boy found
two razor blades sheathed in their packaging inside a prepared Ziploc bag with
other candy on Halloween night. The blades were not concealed in any candy or
wrapping and no injuries were sustained. It is unknown where the blades came
from. […]
WTAE-TV [Pittsburgh]
3 November 2015
State police investigate
report of razor blade in Halloween candy
Girl, 16, treated at Indiana
Regional Medical Center
MARION CENTER, Pa. —State police are investigating
after a 16-year-old western Pennsylvania girl who reported finding a razor
blade in her Halloween candy was treated for cuts in her mouth.
Troopers from the Indiana, Pennsylvania, barracks say
the girl was treated Monday.
Trooper Mark McMahan said Tuesday the girl reported
receiving the razor in a piece of bubble gum she received during a community
event in the Marion Center area. That's about 60 miles northeast of Pittsburgh.
The event involved 22 people who registered to hand
out Halloween treats out of their vehicles at a school parking lot in East
Mahoning Township.
More than 300 children received treats, and nobody
else reported that anything was tainted.
No suspects had been identified and no charges have
been filed.
Indiana Gazette [PA]
3 November 2015
Police: Story of razor blade
tainted gum was hoax
MARION CENTER — Authorities reported this evening that
a teenage girl’s tale of cutting her mouth on a razor blade embedded in
Halloween candy is a hoax.
State police reported the 16-year-old girl confessed
that she invented the story that she originally reported Monday to troopers at
the Indiana station.
The teen admitted that her injury — which reportedly
required 23 stitches — was self inflicted.
“She advised that at no time was anyone else involved
in the incident, and that the candy she received from trick-or-treating was
safe,” Trooper Alison Goswick reported in a news release. […]
Troopers didn’t indicate in the updated report whether
any charges would be filed.
Cleveland.com
3 November 2015
Strange items found in
Halloween bag: Medina Police blotter
By Brian Lisik,special to Sun News
Suspicious activity, Providence Drive: A resident
called police at 7:54 p.m. Nov. 1 after finding a sewing needle and a panty
liner in her child's Halloween sack. […]
NJ.com
3 November 2015
Another piece of candy,
another sharp object, police say
Rebecca Forand
WEST DEPTFORD TWP. — Police in the township have
received a report of Halloween candy that had been tampered with, making West
Deptford the fourth complaint of its kind this week.
A Three Musketeers bar in a child's trick-or-treat bag
contained a paper clip, the caller told police.
They had been going door-to-door in the Colonial Manor section of West
Deptford. […]
WTVD-TV [Raleigh, NC] | 3 November 215
Police: Needle found in
Halloween candy in Holly Springs
HOLLY SPRINGS (WTVD) -- Police say a needle was found
in Halloween candy received Saturday night during trick-or-treating in Holly Springs.
Officers were told Monday night that the needle was
found in a Snickers Fun Size candy bar that was received in the Lakeside
subdivision area.
On Tuesday, authorities said they found a second piece
of candy they believed was suspicious, and may contain a foreign object. They
are investigating to confirm it.
The child narrowly missed getting pricked by the
needle, and told his parents, who notified police.
"He initially bit into it because the caramel
covered the needle," the child's mother, Ada Melendez said.
"Fortunately, it didn't prick him, but he was freaking out. So we called
the police. […]
WWTV [Cadillac, MI]
3 November 2015
Manistee Police Investigating
Razor Blades Found in Halloween Candy
By Veronica Meadows, Producer
The Manistee Police Department is looking into reports
about razor blades discovered in Halloween candy.
Chief Dave Bachman says they got calls about two
different incidents.
He says the children were trick-or-treating between
10th and 12th Street and High Street.
The chief says a razor blade was smashed in to the
center of a Reeses peanut butter cup.
A second blade was discovered in a Laffy Taffy. […]
Global News [Canada]
3 November 2015
Grande Prairie man goes to
hospital after eating pill-laced Halloween candy
By Karen Bartko
EDMONTON — One day after Lloydminister RCMP warned of
pills being found in Halloween candy, Mounties on the other side of the
province are issuing a similar warning.
Grande Prairie RCMP said they received a complaint on
Monday from a man who found a pill inside of a Snickers Mini candy bar. The man
had eaten half the pill when he noticed the other half inside the chocolate
bar.
Police said the candy wrapper appeared to have been
opened and resealed.
Mounties don’t yet know what type of pill was in the
candy. The male went to hospital as a precautionary measure. […]
WFSB-TV [Hartford, CT]
3 November 2015
Police urge parents to check
candy after needle surfaces in Clinton
By WFSB Staff
CLINTON, CT (WFSB) - A child trick or treating in
Clinton found a large needle stuffed in a "fun size" candy bar. […]
Neighbors in Clinton told Eyewitness News that they're
in disbelief.
"It's horrible," said Hillary Crane of
Clinton. "You can't trust anyone these days. You can't even go trick or
treating. These poor kids."
Though Halloween has passed, police continue to urge
parents to carefully inspect all of the treats brought home from that night.
"When we were kids, you didn't eat the apples
because they could put the needles in the apples," Crane said. "And
now it's, you just gotta be really careful with anything."
The Press Democrat [Santa Rosa, CA]
3 November 2015
Trick in treats: Exacto-blade
found in Sonoma boy's Halloween candy
BY CHRISTIAN KALLEN
Every parent’s worst Halloween nightmare made an
appearance Saturday night in Sonoma, when a group of middle-school children
returned from an hour of trick-or-treating to discover at least one trick among
their treats: a razor blade in a candy bar.
Not just any razor blade, but a slender Exacto-knife
blade as used in graphic arts or scrapbooking. And not just any candy bar, but
a Butterfinger, according to Frank Gravert, the father of 12-year-old Ottavio.
A group of Ottavio’s friends were comparing the
evening’s take on the dining room table, when one said “Hey, look at this!” and
pulled out the small sharp blade stuck in the flaky, peanut-butter flavored
bar. […]
KAAL-TV [Austin, MN]
2 November 2015
Austin Mom Reports Finding
Needle in Halloween Candy
By: Meghan Reistad
(ABC 6 News) -- Police are looking into a report of
tampering after an Austin mom says her son's Halloween candy had a needle in
it.
Monday morning, Ann Molina says she discovered
something quite dangerous in her child's candy.
"It was 6:45 in the morning and he goes, 'Mom,
sorry I was trying to sneak out a candy from your bag. Look what I found. I
told you I had a strange feeling that one of these candies might be bad.’ It
was a big needle and I got scared," said Molina.
While talking with an officer, Molina said she was
asked if it was possible her son placed the needle inside the Kit Kat bar.
"But I told him, we don't have those long
needles. It's like a construction needle, because they're very big," said
Molina. […]
WTTG-TV [Washington, DC]
3 November 2015
Maryland State Police: Sewing
needles found in Halloween candy
PRINCE FREDERICK, Md. (AP) — Maryland State Police say
a woman found sewing needles in Halloween candy her child had received while
trick-or-treating.Troopers say the woman called authorities Monday night when
she found the needles while inspecting the candy before letting her child eat
it. Authorities say the woman took her children trick-or-treating in Prince
Frederick in Calvert County. […]
KVAL-TV [Eugene, OR]
3 November 2015
Police: Girl, 12, bit into
sewing needle in Halloween candy
SPRINGFIELD, Ore. - A 12-year-old girl bit into a
Snickers bar she got trick-or-treating on Halloween - and found a sewing needle
concealed inside the fun-size bar, Springfield Police said.
The child's guardian posted information on Facebook
but did not call police until her friends urged her to do so.
Police said they have no evidence at this time where
the candy came from or when the tampering took place. An officer took the
report November 3, and police released a press release and photographs the same
day.
The girl told police she had gone trick-or-treating
between the 1200 block of Centennial and the 500 block of W. Centennial, a
distance of a little over a mile.
On November 1, the girl bit into the Snickers bar and
felt something, she told police. She pulled the bar out of her mouth and saw
the needle sticking out of the end.
Niagara Advance [ON]
3 November 2015
Family shaken after blade
found in candy
Amelia Veinot is thankful it was her, and not her
little brother or sister.
When the teen bit into a Mars bar at her
Niagara-on-the-Lake home Monday night, she felt something hard and immediately
knew something was not right.
She spit out the mini chocolate bar to discover a
pencil sharpener blade that had been stuffed inside.
“I was terrified,” the 14-year-old recalled, adding
she thought nothing of eating the candy knowing it came from her quiet
neighbourhood.
“What if it had been my four-year-old brother or
six-year-old sister? I was happy it was me and not them.” […]
KAKE-TV [Wichita, KS]
3 November 2015
Wichita family finds razor
blade in a Halloween candy bar
By: Monica Castro
WICHITA, Kan. -- The bowl of Halloween candy sits
pretty full at the Garcia household and that's because the family says they
found something unexpected in one of the candy bars
"Like any kid that comes home after Halloween
digs in the candy bowl and she kind of unwraps it and just screamed, 'mom
you're not going to believe what's in this,'" said Samantha Garcia.
The family shocked to find this after
trick-or-treating in Douglass. One of the treats had a razor blade inside of
it.
"It's a razor blade in the candy just like the
urban legends tell you, watch out for the razor blades and needles in the
candy." […]
WPRO Radio [East Providence, RI]
4 November 2015
Pawtucket police
investigating Halloween candy with needle
PAWTUCKET, R.I. (AP) – Pawtucket police are
investigating after a woman says she found a sewing needle stuck inside a
Snickers bar that her daughter got trick-or-treating.
Bridget Burns tells channel 12 that she bit into the
candy Monday morning. She says she noticed something silver and then realized
it was a needle. […]
CBC News [Canada]
4 November 2015
Needle found in child's
Halloween candy at Keele and Lawrence
3-year-old was about to eat
chocolate bar
CBC News
The Toronto Police say that on Tuesday night, a
three-year-old girl was about to eat a Halloween chocolate bar when she found a
needle in it.
The child was not injured.
The incident happened in the Keele Street and Lawrence
Avenue West area. […]
KITV-TV [Honolulu, HI]
3 November 2015
New twist in Halloween candy
tampering case
By Brenton Awa
HONOLULU - A Hawaii mother's claim that she found
sharp objects in her Halloween Candy is under new scrutiny, after a police
department in Pennsylvania says the picture she said she took, was actually
snapped there by one of their officers.
KITV first interviewed Chelsea Kakae on the Monday
after Halloween and she had a shocking story to tell. The Waimanalo resident
said she found needles in her family's Halloween candy, after her kids went
trick or treating in Kailua and Waianae. […]
So we called Kakae back to explain. She now says she did not take the picture and
she does not know where it came from. […]
CBS11 [Fort Worth, Texas]
3 November 2015
Parent Finds Razor Blade In
Store-Bought Halloween Rice Krispies Treat
FORT WORTH (CBSDFW.COM) – Police in Fort Worth have
issued a safety warning after a parent found a razor blade in a Halloween Rice
Krispies Treat meant for his 4-year-old son.
First it was staples found Monday night in Reese’s
peanut butter cups and now, something more sinister.
The Rice Krispies Treat was store bought, not
homemade, according to the boy’s parents. The father who cut his finger as he
sorted through his child’s candy, said the sugary snack didn’t seem to have
been tampered with, at first glance.
“It looks a little thicker than a piece of paper. It’s
very, very thin,” said his wife, describing the blade lodged in the middle of
the marshmallow and rice cereal confection.
“I got scared because if he hadn’t cut his finger —
what if it had been my child’s mouth,” she asked.
The family wants to remain anonymous because they are
working with police to help identify the person they believe is responsible — a
stranger who made an impression on them for all the wrong reasons.
“He was acting standoffish, like he didn’t want to
hand out the candy,” said the Fort Worth mom.
Police said the dangerous treat was likely given out
in the Chapel Creek area of Fort Worth near 820 and White Settlement Road. […]
The Valley Breeze [Lincoln, RI]
4 November 2015
Police seek leads on needle
found in candy bar
PAWTUCKET – Police detectives in Pawtucket say they’re
following up every lead as they try to learn who stuck a sewing needle into a
chocolate bar and then handed it out on Halloween night.
Detective Capt. John Seebeck said police are treating
the incident “pretty seriously” after hearing from a woman on the east side of
the city who claimed to have discovered the needle after biting into her
child’s candy bar Monday morning.
According to Seebeck, detectives have taken dozens of
statements from children and parents who were out trick-or-treating that night,
but still have no leads on where the candy bar or needle came from. Police
fumed the candy wrapper for prints, but the tests came back negative, said
Seebeck. […]
Bucks County Courier Times [Levittown, PA]
4 November 2015
Bristol Borough girl bites
into razor blade in Hershey bar
BRISTOL BOROUGH — A Bristol Borough girl bit into a
Hershey candy bar Tuesday and found a razor blade, Police Chief Arnold Porter
said.
Porter said the girl's family came to headquarters
Tuesday night to report the incident.
The girl was not injured, he said.
Porter said the girl got the candy bar, Hershey's Dark
Chocolate, while trick or treating on Halloween in the borough, but the exact
location was not known. […]
Tyler Star News [Sistersville, WV]
3 November 2015
Razor Blade Found In Halloween
Candy In Middlebourne
Tyler County Sheriff's Department reported that a
piece of a razor blade was discovered within a candy bar gathered during
trick-or-treating.
Sheriff Bob Kendle said a concerned mother of
Middlebourne, who was inspecting her childrens' candy Thursday, found a piece
of a disposable razor blade in a bite-sized Snickers bar, according to a press
release issued Saturday by the sheriff's department. The woman's name has not
been released to the media. […]
WAVE [Louisville, KY]
5 November 2015
Trick in treat: Hardin Co.
mom finds needle in daughter's Halloween candy
By Joey Brown
VINE GROVE, KY (WAVE) - The head of a Hardin County
police department says there isn't much he can do about finding the person who
stuck a sewing needle in a 5-year-old girl's Halloween candy.
Vine Grove Police Chief Kenneth Mattingly said Zaylee
Rayls' mother told officers her daughter trick-or-treated at 20 to 25 homes on
Saturday and then went to a trunk-or-treat event at a community church.
The next day, Zaylee unwrapped a candy bar that was in
her Halloween stash and then decided not to eat it, the child's mother Rebecca
Rayls told investigators, so Rebecca decided to eat the candy herself. She told
police she bit onto a sewing needle that was embedded in the candy bar. She wasn't
injured. […]
Rayls notified police but a report was not filed,
Mattingly said.
WJAR-TV [Providence, RI]
5 November 2015
Family finds needle in
Halloween candy
By Brian Crandall
Caramel, nougat, and a needle.
The DeBold family of West Warwick claims they got a
surprise in a Snickers bar, a needle.
Mom Kim says she had warned the kids before eating
Halloween candy.
"I said, you know, just to be safe, break the
candy in half before you bite into anything," DeBold told NBC 10.
13-year-old Madison says she did just that.
"I just opened it and there was a needle in it
and I was like, uh, dad," Madison said.
"There were no breaks in the package, no holes,
no nothing," Kim said. […]
WBOC-TV [Salisbury, MD]
5 November 2015
Salisbury Police: Sewing
Needle Found in Candy; All a Hoax
SALISBURY, Md. - An incident in Salisbury after
Halloween, left parents frantically checking their children's candy after a
report that a sewing needle was found in a Twizzler. It turns out, it was all a
hoax.
Salisbury Police said Monday that a 15-year-old boy
claimed he was attempting to eat the candy he got while trick-or-treating over
the weekend, when he found a sewing needle lodged inside a single piece of a
Twizzler candy. Police say the boy alerted his parents who in turn contacted
the police department, who then launched an investigation.
On Thursday, Salisbury Police said the boy recanted
his original statement and said the incident was just a prank, one that he
never thought would extend past his family. Police said the boy told them he
had no intent to create public fear.
The case will be forwarded to the Department of
Juvenile Services for review, according to police.
Also Thursday, WBOC confirmed that police in Delmar,
Maryland are investigating a similar incident in their area. Chief Ivan Barkley
said the received a report Monday night from a concerned parent that a
9-year-old boy had found, what the police report described as, "a piece of
metal" in a piece of Twizzler twist candy. WBOC brought the Salisbury
incident to the Chief's attention, who said they are continuing to investigate.
The chief added that the Delmar incident seemed to be an isolated incident.
Sonoma Index-Tribune [CA]
5 November 2015
Second tainted candy incident
‘not credible,’ say Sonoma police
BY CHRISTIAN KALLEN
INDEX-TRIBUNE STAFF WRITER
News that a Sonoma boy had found a razor blade in his
“fun-size” Butterfinger candy bar on Halloween grew into a regional story after
it was published in Tuesday’s Index-Tribune. It was picked up first by the
Press Democrat, and later the Sacramento Bee and SFGate, the online presence of
the San Francisco Chronicle, among others.
Channel 5 KPIX-TV even ran a news story that included
an interview with Frank Gravatt, who posted the incident on his Facebook page,
and Sonoma Police Sgt. Spencer Crum.
The next day, Nov. 4, the principal of St. Francis
Solano School sent an email message to parents saying a sixth-grader had found
a sewing needle in another “fun size” candy bar, this time a Snickers. Coming
on the heels of the earlier story, it thrust Sonoma trick-or-treaters into a
rare, if unwanted, celebrity.
But on Thursday, Principal Debbie Picard informed
parents that the incident had been deemed “not credible” by the officer who
spoke with the boy, suggesting it was a prank.
The parents and child in the first incident have also
been interviewed, according to Sonoma Police Chief Bret Sackett. “At this point
in time, we have nothing to deny the allegations, but we don’t have any
additional information to confirm it either,” said Sackett. “As such, the case
has been suspended pending additional investigative leads.” […]
Penn Live [PA]
6 November 2015
Piece of Halloween candy
reportedly tampered with in Lower Paxton Township: Police
Joe Elias
A piece of metal was found in a piece of Halloween
candy by a parent in Lower Paxton Township, according to township police.
The tainted candy, a bite size Almond Joy, was found
by a resident of Harrise Drive, police said. Police made the announcement on
Thursday. […]
Herald Mail [Hagerstown, MD]
6 November 2015
Needle found in halloween
candy in Bunker Hill area
MARTINSBURG, W.Va. — After a needle was found in a
piece of candy, West Virginia State Police are reminding residents to
thoroughly check all candy collected during recent Halloween trick-or-treating.
On Thursday, state police received a report of candy
tampering from a Berkeley County resident, where "a needle was discovered
concealed in a piece of candy," according to a news release.
The needle, described as a sewing needle, was found in
candy that was received by a trick-or-treater in the area of Pinnacle Drive in
Bunker Hill, W.Va., police said. […]
Daily Local [West Chester, PA]
6 November 2015
UPDATED: DA: No charges in candy
story hoax
By Andy Hachadorian, Daily Local News
KENNETT SQUARE -- The Chester County District Attorney
and Kennett Square Borough police have announced that the reports of tainted
Halloween candy in Southern Chester County were false.
According to District Attorney Tom Hogan, the two
children who reported the incident have both recanted their statements. There
were no needles in any Halloween candy distributed in Kennett Square.
“Sometimes proving that a crime did not happen is as
important as proving that a crime did happen,” said District Attorney Tom
Hogan. “In this case, law enforcement treated the initial report seriously,
notified the community for the sake of safety, but kept doggedly investigating
the matter. As a result of that persistence, we are now able to assure the
citizens of Kennett Square that nobody was trying to harm any children by
tampering with Halloween candy.”
Kennett Square Police Chief Edward Zunino added that
his department was glad to find that there was nothing sinister on Halloween
night in his municipality.
“We are relieved to find out that nobody was trying to
hurt kids in Kennett Square. We are a safe and vibrant community, and we
protect our children,” said Zunino.
This incident was investigated by the Kennett Square
Borough Police Department and the Chester County Detectives.
Police said that around midnight on Nov. 1, Kennett
Square Borough Police Department received a report that sewing needles had been
found in candy bars by children who had been trick-or-treating on Halloween the
night before. One child triggered the report.
Upon learning of the incident, the police informed the
public of the potential risk and instructed the community to contact
authorities with reports of any further incidents, police said. Shortly
thereafter, another needle in Halloween candy was reported to police by a
second child from Kennett Square.
The Kennett Square Police Department, with assistance
from the Chester County Detectives, investigateed the reports. The police
interviewed family members multiple times, canvassed the neighborhoods where
the kids had been trick-or-treating, re-interviewed the reporting children,
processed evidence recovered in the investigation, and even dug through trash
dumpsters to recover other candy that had been discarded by the reporting
children.
While reviewing the trash, police discovered a spool
of thread among the discarded candy from the first reporting child, leading to
questions about whether the child may have taken the needles from a home sewing
kit. Both families were cooperative throughout the investigation and were
helpful in uncovering the truth, Hogan stated.
In the first incident, an 11-year old girl took
several needles from her mother’s sewing kit and hid them in Twix bars. She did
this after seeing a photograph of needles in candy shown to her by an adult who
was advising her to be safe while trick-or-treating. She then fabricated the
needles in a candy bar story to her parents, who rightfully reported the
incident to police, according to Hogan.
The second incident involved a 12-year old boy hearing
the reports about the first incident and then imitating what had been reported.
The young boy inserted a needle inside of a Snickers bar and showed his older
sister, who promptly reported it to the police, according to investigators.
Hogan said both children fully recanted their initial
reports. They both gave complete statements to the police, with the last
statement being completed in the evening hours of Nov. 5, 2015.
The DA said that based on the ages of the children
involved, the cooperation of their families, and other mitigating factors, no
formal charges will be filed against the children. The children will be dealt
with by their parents, he said, adding that both families apologized for the
incident, understanding the serious impact it had on the community.
“Law enforcement is always in a difficult situation in
these potential hoax cases, which seem to occur every year,” said Hogan. “The
public has to be notified immediately as a matter of safety. However, as
anybody who has raised kids knows, it sometimes takes some work and time to get
the full truth behind an initial story. In this case, law enforcement and the
media did a sound job of balancing the need for safety with pursuing the
ultimate truth. At this point, we are simply glad that we can assure the
parents and children of Chester County that Halloween remains a safe and fun
event.”
The Dallas Morning News | 6 November 2015
Fort Worth man arrested after
confessing to razor in Halloween candy hoax
Matt Peterson
A Fort Worth man has been arrested after police say he
confessed to putting his own razor blade in his children’s Halloween candy.
Charles Pruitt, 33, faces a charge of filing a false
report because he initially said someone else tainted the Rice Krispies Treat,
according to police records. He spent Thursday night in the Fort Worth Jail.
Pruitt and his wife contacted police Saturday saying
he cut his finger while sorting through candy after a night of trick-or-treating.
He said the blade was protruding from a treat his kids were given at a house
near North Elementary School.
Later, during a tearful confession, he admitted he cut
himself while removing the blade from his own razor.
It’s unclear whether Pruitt knew the man he initially
accused of handing out the treats. That man told police he gave out an
assortment of candy that night, but never Rice Krispy Treats.
Police searched that man’s home and found nothing but
later searched Pruitt’s home and found a dismantled Gillette Fusion Pro Glide.
CBC News
6 November 2015
Halloween candy tampering
suspected in Cape Breton
Small wire pieces found in
caramels by father in Cantley Village subdivision of Coxheath, near Sydney
Cape Breton Regional Police are investigating a report
of Halloween candy tampering.
Police spokeswoman Shannon Kerr said a parent in the
Cantley Village neighbourhood of Coxheath, near Sydney, contacted investigators
Friday after his daughter reportedly found two pieces of wire, each about six
millimetres long, inside caramel candy.
The parent told police his daughter trick-or-treated
on Anderson Avenue, McKinley Drive, Doyle Avenue, MacKenzie Drive, Keefe
Avenue, and Sharples Avenue in Cantley Village. […]
KRON-TV [San Francisco]
6 November 2015
Report: Child finds needle in
3 Musketeers Halloween candy in Concord
By Vince Cestone, KRON and Maureen Kelly
CONCORD (KRON) — Parents in Concord might want to
double check their children’s leftover Halloween candy.
A disturbing report circulated online said a child
found a needle in a 3 Musketeers candy bar. The story was posted on the
Claycord news blog.
A parent, who asked to remain anonymous, sent in a
picture that shows the remains of a 3 Musketeers bar. And the picture showed a
needle that was reportedly lodged in the candy. […]
Toronto Star
7 November 2015
Toronto police investigating
after another metal object found in Halloween candy
By: Vjosa Isai
Staff Reporter
As this year’s trick-or-treaters slowly make their way
through Halloween goodies, police continue to warn parents to check their kids’
candy.
Police announced another mischief investigation on
Saturday after an 11-year-old girl bit into a chocolate bar and discovered a
razor blade hidden inside. The girl collected her candy in the area between
College and Dundas streets, and Manning and Palmerston Aves. […]
Hawaii News Now
9 November 2015
Police: 5th case of Halloween candy tampering reported
By Chelsea Davis
Be careful with
those leftover Halloween treats.
A week after the
holiday, police are investigating a new report of a needle hidden inside a
candy bar. Honolulu police say it is the fifth case of candy tampering
reported, but the first in Waimanalo.
Thomas Na-o Jr.
said his eight-year-old daughter found the needle when she opened a Snickers
"fun size" candy bar Friday night. […]
Cold Lake Sun [Alberta]
9 November 2015
RCMP investigating pills
found in candy
By Peter Lozinski, Cold Lake Sun
The Bonnyville RCMP is investigating a report of a
white pill found in Halloween candy.
The white pill may have been found stuffed inside a
chewy fruity type of candy similar to a Starburst. The pill is oval, of typical
size with the letters APO on one side. […]
City News [Toronto] | 10 November 2015
Sewing needle, staple, found
in Halloween candy
Toronto police have issued a warning for parents after
a sewing needle and a staple were found in Halloween candy.
It is at least the ninth and tenth cases of Halloween
candy tampering in southern Ontario this year.
The sewing needle was just discovered on Monday
evening. Police say a 14-year-old boy had been trick-or-treating in the
Glenholme Avenue and Vaughan Road area.
He bit into a chocolate bar round 6 p.m. and
discovered the needle. He was not hurt.
The staple was found by the parents of a nine-year-old
girl.
She had been trick-or-treating near Kipling Avenue and
Brookmere Road. Her parents found a chocolate bar with a slightly torn wrapper
and when they opened up the bar, they found a staple embedded in the centre.
The girl was not injured. […]
Kawartha Lakes This Week [ON]
3 November 2015
Kawartha Lakes OPP
investigating report of nail found in Halloween candy
Police say a grandparent
discovered a finishing nail in candy from Little Britain
KAWARTHA LAKES - City of Kawartha Lakes OPP are
investigating a report of a finishing nail found in Halloween candy given out
in Little Britain.
OPP say they received the complaint after a careful
grandparent noticed a hole in the wrapper of a two-inch chocolate bar and
discovered a finishing nail imbedded in the treat.
Constable Jackie Hildenbrand has confirmed the treat
in this incident was a CRUNCH chocolate bar but she stresses parents should be
wary of all varieties of Halloween treats. […]
Toronto Sun
7 November 2015
More drugs found in Pickering
Halloween candy
CHRIS DOUCETTE, Sun Media
Moms and dads in a Pickering neighbourhood are being
warned to check their kids' Halloween candy following numerous new cases of
cold medication found by parents in their little ones' treats.
Durham police received the first such report on Wednesday
from the parents of a Grade 5 student at Valley Farm Public School who had
found a Dayquil tablet inside a sealed box of Smarties.
Since then four more cases have been confirmed, all
involving the cold and flu medication in Halloween-sized boxes of Smarties.
Police say the dangerous prank seems to be confined to
kids who trick-or-treated on Beaton Way and Shay Dr., northwest of Brock Rd.
and Finch Ave. They are urging parents to open and inspect all the candy their
children collected on Halloween night.
Lafayette Journal
& Courier [IN]
11 November 2015
Lafayette teenager finds needle in her Snickers
Joseph Paul
When Kristyn
White's daughter reached for a Snickers leftover from Halloween, she bit into
more than chocolate, caramel and peanuts.
She also found a
sewing needle.
The 17-year-old
wasn't injured and hasn't fallen ill, White told the Journal & Courier
outside her Lafayette home on North 16th Street. "But it was still scary," she said.
[…]
Toronto Sun
11 November 2015
Origins of Halloween candy
tampering tough to trace: Police
By Shawn Jeffords, Toronto Sun
TORONTO - While a rash of Halloween candy tampering
cases are under investigation, a Toronto Police officer admits the cases are
difficult to crack.
Const. Victor Kwong said investigators face a number
of challenges in finding the sources of the tainted treats at the centre of
five cases under investigation by Toronto’s police force.
“There are difficulties in the investigation,” he
added. “When kids are trick or treating, it all goes in the same bag. There’s
little way to know which street it came from.
“We don’t know if ... it was the person who gave out
the treat,” he added. “It could have been at the point of sale. It could be at
the point of manufacturing. Or, it could be completely a hoax to us.” […]
WBNG-TV [NY]
12 November 2015
NYSP investigating razor
blade found in Halloween candy
By Anna Norris
Town of Roxbury, NY (WBNG Binghamton) -- A Delaware
County resident reported finding a razor blade inside a bag of Sour Skittles.
The resident, who lives on Maple Lane in the Town of
Roxbury, told New York State Police the skittles had been obtained while trick
or treating.
The blade found was similar to one from an X-Acto
knife, state police said.
Troopers say it appears the bag of candy had been
completely sealed prior to being opened on Nov. 9.
The skittles have been traced back to being bought at
CVS Pharmacy on Bridge Street in the Town of Margaretville. So far, the source
of the razor blade has not been identified and the investigation is continuing.
[…]
WPXI-TV [Pittsburgh]
13 November 2015
Girl charged after lying about
razor blade hidden in Halloween candy
INDIANA, Pa. — The Indiana County district attorney
confirmed Friday that charges were filed against a 16-year-old girl who told
police she cut her mouth on a razor blade inside a piece of Halloween candy.
The girl is charged in juvenile court with making
false reports. The charge stems from an incident on Halloween when the girl
told police she got cut from a razor hidden inside a piece of chewing gum. […]
The BayNet [Hollywood,
MD]
1 December 2015
By The BayNet
Staff/Maryland State Police
Prince Frederick,
MD - The Maryland State Police, Prince Frederick Barrack reported Tuesday, Dec.
1 that a report that needles had been placed in Halloween candy and distributed
in a Prince Frederick subdivision was false.
Authorities
reported that “through extensive investigation, Tfc. Matthews was able to
obtain a confession from the complainant stating she had placed needles in the
Halloween candy. The case is being
reviewed by the State’s Attorney’s Office. This clears any wrong doing by the
residents of the Patuxent View neighborhood.” […]
The BayNet
[Hollywood, MD]
18 December 2015
By Marty Madden
Huntingtown, MD -
A Calvert County woman who reported her daughter was given a candy bar that
contained a sewing needle now faces a single charge of making a false statement
to a police officer.
According to a
report on file at District Court of Maryland for Calvert County, the
woman—identified as Holly Waters, 30 of Huntingtown—was formally cited for the
violation Dec. 5 and served papers regarding the charge Dec. 14. […]