Update: In an interview with OT at 9:42 p.m., the woman who made the post said her update about there being 23 reports of candy tampering included a typo. She said the post spread publicly before she could correct the information, saying “I couldn’t fix it, so I just took the whole post down.”
The woman said the update was only supposed to say there were three reports based on what she understood after initially speaking with dispatch and then the DCSO sergeant.
“It was only supposed to be three reports, and that was just our assumptions when we initially spoke to the dispatcher and then we spoke to [the sergeant], and he said that there have been multiple calls,” she said. “Then when I had made the post, it was a typo… before I got back to the post, the post had like 100-something shares, and I couldn’t fix it, so I just took the whole post down.”
The woman said she was trying to give real-time updates and never intended for the post to be taken as an accusation toward any specific neighborhood.
“The post was just not to be bashing towards the neighborhood. We love Deer Valley. We go there every single year,” she said. “It was not pointed directly towards anybody at all … It was just for awareness that this had happened to us.”
She said she later saw people online suggesting the situation was a hoax, which she said is not true.
“People do not understand today was very, very real for us,” she said. “… This rocked my whole entire world today.”
According to the woman, the child was eating Halloween candy at home Saturday morning when she noticed what looked like a “metal bar” in the child’s mouth. The woman said the child did not appear to feel it and was not injured.
The family said they contacted law enforcement, turned over what they had bagged, and then went to seek medical testing in Newburgh as a precaution.
The woman also stressed that she does not want to direct blame toward Deer Valley, and made the post as a way to remind parents to check the candy their kids get.
“I was not pointing out Deer Valley maliciously at all,” she said. “We think it’s a great neighborhood … I was just trying to be helpful, just to say, ‘check your candy.’”
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Original story: A Facebook post claiming there were multiple reports of Halloween candy tampering in the Deer Valley subdivision has been removed, and the Daviess County Sheriff’s Office says only one report was filed.
The post was written by a local woman who said that as her child was eating candy, she “saw a metal strip” in the child’s mouth and told them to spit it out. The initial post and one of the comments from the woman included photos of the object. It was slightly longer than a penny, was bent about 90 degrees on one end, and was pointy at the other end, resembling the shape of a felting needle.
In an update added to her post, the woman said she called the sheriff’s office to make a report and was going to the hospital as a precaution. A second update alleged that a sheriff’s sergeant had called the woman back saying there were “23 reports from [Deer Valley] since last night,” and that a local doctor had told her the same issue had been seen “twice just tonight.”
However, Sheriff Brad Youngman said Saturday evening that there had been only one report — the initial call from the same woman.
“The deputy that investigated was not able to determine whether the metal came from within a piece of candy or not,” Youngman said. “There were no injuries to the child, and the mother said she planned to take the child for medical treatment. That’s the only call we have received.”
Youngman said he confirmed with the on-duty sergeant and with the Owensboro Police Department that no other similar reports have been filed. Owensboro Times also contacted OPD directly, and their public information officer said he was not aware of any reports about candy tampering.
OT also asked Youngman about the updated Facebook post saying the sergeant called the woman back.
“The sergeant stated that he had not called her back since the initial report,” Youngman said.
Youngman added that neither local hospitals nor doctors’ offices have notified him about patients treated for suspected candy tampering.
The Facebook post was still online as of at least 8:21 p.m. Saturday. Owensboro Times reached out to the woman for comment at 8:29 p.m. but did not receive a response. The post was removed by 8:34 p.m.
The sheriff said these types of reports surface nationwide each Halloween season, but verified cases are “very rare.”
“We always encourage parents to inspect candy closely. Make sure it’s from a recognizable brand, unopened, and in good shape,” Youngman said. “If anything looks suspicious, discard it and contact law enforcement. We’ll gladly take a look.”
Youngman added, “Overall, we experienced a very safe and successful Halloween. With the weather being somewhat nice and it falling on a Friday night, there was a lot going on and a lot of people out and about, but we didn’t have any serious problems.”
The U.S. Food & Drug Administration offers the following tips for families who go trick-or-treating:
- Snacking: Children shouldn’t snack on treats from their goody bags while they’re out trick-or-treating. Give them a light meal or snack before they head out – don’t send them out on an empty stomach. Urge them to wait until they get home and let you inspect their loot before they eat any of it.
- Safe treats: Tell children not to accept – and especially not to eat – anything that isn’t commercially wrapped. Inspect commercially wrapped treats for signs of tampering, such as an unusual appearance or discoloration, tiny pinholes, or tears in wrappers. Throw away anything that looks suspicious.
- Food Allergies: If your child has a food allergy, check the label to ensure the allergen isn’t present. Do not allow the child to eat any home-baked goods he or she may have received.
- Choking hazards: If you have very young children, be sure to remove any choking hazards such as gum, peanuts, hard candies, or small toys.
