11-Year-Old Allegedly Put Needles Inside Halloween Candy With Intent To Harm, Charged

A news release Wednesday from the Rowan County Sheriff’s Office, North Carolina, said an 11-year-old was facing felony charges for allegedly putting sewing needles in Halloween candy.

After trick-or-treating this Halloween, a 12-year-old bit into a Snickers candy bar and was stabbed by a sewing needle embedded in it. Deputies were called to the scene and found the boy who bit into the needle-filled candy had “minor injuries.” They found another candy bar with a sharp object.

The following day, they received a similar call from the neighborhood where the child participated in trick-or-treating.

An investigation, including “numerous interviews” led to the 11-year-old boy facing felony charges including “distribution of certain food at Halloween containing foreign objects.” The boy has been sent “for a mental evaluation before the court proceedings begin,” the statement said.

“The investigation indicates that this child placed the needles inside the candy with the intent of the candy being distributed out to Halloween Trick or Treaters. The needles were inserted into the candy through the wrappers and would be very difficult to detect,” the sheriff’s office said, the Telegraph reported.

Several similar incidents were reported across North Carolina this Halloween. Woodstock police said in a statement Monday that father of a three-year-old child found a four-cm-long yellow-tipped sewing needle in a partially torn Rolo candy bar. The child had been to the areas of Clarke Street South, Sloane Street, Willowgrove Crescent, Edgewood Drive, North Park Crescent, Brompton Avenue and Springbank Avenue for trick-or-treating.

"Parents and children are reminded to check candy thoroughly, inspect all the goods and candies that are brought in from Halloween and make sure everything is safe and enjoy it," said Woodstock Special Constable Jason Green warned, CBC News reported.

Last week, a report was filed with Wilson County Sheriff’s Office after a needle was found in a piece of LifeSavers Gummies candy. The discovery was made after the mother noticed the wrapper had been tampered with.

Not just North Carolina, sewing needles and a nail were found inside Twizzlers candy given to children in Massachusetts and New Hampshire as well. Boston 25 News reached out to the candy's maker, The Hershey Co., who stated, "Unfortunately, product tampering is a serious issue this time of year, which is why it is so important for parents to be vigilant and examine their children’s candy.”

"At The Hershey Company, we implement the highest food safety and quality standards in the industry to ensure our products are safe to eat when they leave our manufacturing facilities. This includes the use of metal detectors to screen for potential metal objects in any of our products,” said Jeff Beckman, corporate communications director for The Hershey Co.