Nail found in Halloween candy

Melissa Strle
Times Reporter

 

Jennifer Heaton of Strathmore was shocked when her 14-year-old stepson Ryker discovered his Halloween candy had been tampered with after going trick-or-treating in Strathmore on Oct. 31.
The duo couldn’t believe their eyes when they discovered a finishing nail had been inserted into a tiny Aero chocolate bar, through a small hole in the package.
“We found a tiny, tiny hole at the end of where it said Aero (by the O) and that’s where they pushed it in,” Heaton said. “He (Ryker) opened it up, broke it in half, ate the one half and then when he went to go eat the other half, he noticed something shiny on the inside, and that’s when he started looking at it and then he pulled it (the nail) out.”
The Aero package was completely sealed and the family didn’t notice the tiny hole in the package until after the police came to look at it.
Heaton said the police officer was looking at it “really, really closely.”
She said the nail “was quite sharp” and it looked like a nail of some sort without a head on it.
“I think it’s horrible,” said Heaton. “I didn’t realize that our small town would have someone doing that kind of scary stuff,” she said.
Heaton moved to Strathmore when she was 10 years old, and has lived in the town for over 25 years.
“It’s not that small of a town anymore, but I’ve had kids trick or treating for 18 years and I’ve never come across anything like that before,” Heaton said.
Other Halloween tampering incidents occurred across the country this year, including in Morley, Alta. where a 12-year-old child returned from trick-or-treating to find two sewing needles concealed in two large chocolate bars.
Fortunately, the needles were spotted before anyone was hurt.
In Halifax, police investigated after a 12-year-old boy cut his thumb on a razor blade that was stuck in a chocolate bar.
Police recommend that parents inspect their children’s Halloween candy.
Heaton said she has always checked her kids Halloween candy.
“I’ve never experienced this before so that’s why I was blown away,” she said.
Heaton does not think her kids will go trick-or-treating anymore.
“My youngest one just turned 13, so I think that will be their last year.”
She said if her children had been younger, she would not be interested in letting them go door-to-door anymore for trick-or-treating, and instead would take them to community parties and other Halloween events.
Ultimately, Heaton would like to make people aware of the incident since she does not personally know anyone else who has experienced this before.
“I just don’t understand where somebody would get off trying to do something like that to children,” said Heaton. “It just doesn’t make any sense at all … it’s disgusting actually.”