Pins and Needles Found in Halloween Candy in Two East-End Toronto Neighbourhoods
No one was hurt. Police say the Upper Beaches and Leslieville trick-or-treat routes did not overlap, as Durham, Hamilton and St. Thomas police probe similar reports.
Toronto police are investigating two reports of sewing needles and pins found inside Halloween candy that children collected while trick-or-treating in the city's east end. No one was hurt, but police are asking families to check what is left in their kids' treat bags.
The Toronto Police Service issued a public safety alert through 55 Division at 12:06 p.m. Tuesday. It said both reports involve candy collected while trick-or-treating on Saturday, Oct. 31.
Two neighbourhoods, two reports
In the first case, in the Main Street and Swanwick Avenue area, police said a sewing needle and a pin were found in two separate pre-wrapped commercial Halloween treats. In the second, in the Gerrard Street East and Jones Avenue area, two pins were found in two separate pre-wrapped commercial treats.
CityNews identified the two areas as the Upper Beaches and Leslieville.
Police said none of the needles or pins were eaten and no injuries were reported. Investigators have also determined that the two trick-or-treating routes did not overlap. CityNews reported that this suggests the incidents are unrelated.
The investigations are ongoing, and police said they had received no additional reports as of Tuesday.
How the case came to light
The first report surfaced over the weekend. A Toronto family told CityNews they had found sewing needles and pins embedded in Halloween treats that a child collected in the Main Street area. Family member Mariko Kawano told the outlet they found multiple sharp objects hidden inside the candy, including a sewing needle and straight pins. The family said the child had gone door to door on several streets in the Upper Beaches and reported it to police.
On Monday, Toronto police told TorontoToday they had received one call for service about small needles in candy. At that point police had not said where in the city it happened. Tuesday's alert added the location and the second report from Leslieville.
Similar reports across Ontario
Toronto is not the only place dealing with this. On Sunday, Durham Regional Police issued an alert after sewing needles were reportedly found in candy collected near Ritson Road North and Taunton Road in Oshawa. Officers canvassed the area and asked anyone with concerns to call 905-579-1520.
On Monday, Hamilton police said parents had reported finding sewing needles in candy collected in the Upper Ottawa Street and Mohawk Road area of the East Mountain, the Toronto Sun reported.
In St. Thomas, police are investigating a report that a piece of a razor blade was found inside a mini Mars bar handed out in the courthouse area on Saturday evening. Police there said the address where the chocolate came from is unknown, and the chocolate and the blade were turned over for examination.
The Sun also reported that police in LaSalle, Ont., Drummondville and Saint-Marcel, Que., Happy Valley-Goose Bay, N.L., and rural Halifax have issued warnings about tampered candy. In the Halifax-area case, parents found a used syringe in their child's bag.
What police are asking
Toronto police are urging residents to carefully inspect any candy collected while trick-or-treating and to contact police if they find anything unusual or concerning.
Anyone with information about the east-end cases can call Toronto police at 416-808-5500.
Sources: Toronto Police Service · CityNews · TorontoToday · Toronto Sun