Where did metal-tainted Halloween candy originate? Oakdale police working to find out.
Oakdale police are following some trick-or-treaters’ route to try to trace contaminated candy to its source.
Several chocolates — Fun Size Snickers and Milky Way bars, mini Mars and Almond Joy bars and Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups — were turned over to officers Wednesday after a family discovered small metal pieces in them, the Police Department said in a news release.
“There is no indication that the metal objects entered the candy as a result of the manufacturing process,” the release said. It said further forensic analysis is being conducted on the collected candies.
There is no indication anyone was hurt by the candy. In a Facebook post late Wednesday, the OPD said the parents discovered the tampering before the children ate any of the chocolate. The news release called candy tampering “extremely rare” and said police have received no additional reports of contaminated candy.
The children were trick-or-treating in the Burchell Hill Drive area, and police have retraced the route used, based on information provided by the reporting family, the news release said.
The Police Department posted the contaminated-candy alert on Facebook shortly after 11:30 p.m. Wednesday, but did not post the follow-up news release until 12:28 p.m. Thursday. In the 13 hours between, nearly 150 people commented on the post, many asking what to look for.
“Well that’s just awesome and totally vague,” Carrie Nunes commented about the original post. “It would be nice to have some details. Guess we will be throwing out all our candy from this year.”
Marion Armstrong wrote, “Throw it all out. Go to Target, buy a mix at half price. Give that to your kids. Better safe than sorry.”
Anyone with information about the case is asked to call Oakdale police at 209-847-2231 or Stanislaus Area Crime Stoppers at 209-521-4636. Callers to Crime Stoppers can remain anonymous and may be eligible for a cash reward. Tips also can be submitted via www.stancrimetips.org.
This story was originally published November 1, 2018 at 1:16 PM.