The RCMP in the Halifax area are investigating after a trick-or-treater found a pin inside a small chocolate bar.
Nancy Hayes says her 14-year-old daughter went trick-or-treating with some friends in the Astral Drive and Stratford Drive areas in Cole Harbour Friday evening.
Hayes says Ariane always breaks her Halloween candy in half before eating it, as a safety precaution, and that’s how she found the one-inch pin Sunday.
“Unfortunately, she found a pin in a Wunderbar,” says Hayes. “I am really fortunate that she is safe. She didn’t swallow it, she didn’t eat it, didn’t bite it. She is safe and she is OK.”
Police are now treating the complaint as a possible case of food tampering.
“This is typically something you hardly ever, ever hear about so when this does happen, it becomes an extremely important issue for the public and the police of course,” says Halifax District RCMP Cpl. Greg Church.
There are a few schools close to the area where Ariane was trick-or-treating. Parents at Astral Drive Elementary were sent a monthly newsletter that included a note about the incident, and a reminder to thoroughly check all Halloween candy.
Area residents say news of the potential treat-tampering is troubling.
“To have it happen to other children is totally outrageous,” says one resident. “I don’t know why people would stoop to that level.”
“In this day and age every parent has to be careful to take personal responsibility for their own family and really be careful,” says another.
Police say there have been no other complaints of tampered treats, but Hayes says all parents and trick-or-treaters should be checking their candy thoroughly.
“You can’t take for granted that a specific brand of chocolate is safe,” she says.
Anyone who finds a foreign object in their Halloween haul is asked to contact police.
With files CTV Atlantic's Kelland Sundahl
