Following an intensive investigation, the Kennett Square Police Department and Chester County Detectives have determined that an earlier report of needles found in Halloween candy in Kennett Square, PA is unfounded.
Police in Kennett Square, Pennsylvania said they were notified about midnight Sunday that Halloween candy handed out in the borough's Stenning Hills section had been tampered with. Needles were discovered inside five wrapped Twix bars handed out to four different children in the area, police said.
The Kennett Square Police Department first alerted the community via its Facebook page on Sunday morning, saying that a "needle-type item was found inside five wrapped Twix bars given to four different children the evening of Oct. 31, 2015 in the Stenning Hills area of the borough."
Police said the two children have since recanted their stories.
"Sometimes proving that a crime did not happen is as important as proving that a crime did happen," said District Attorney Tom Hogan. "In this case, law enforcement treated the initial report seriously, notified the community for the sake of safety, but kept doggedly investigating the matter. As a result of that persistence, we are now able to assure the citizens of Kennett Square that nobody was trying to harm any children with Halloween candy."
The children involved, aged 11 and 12, will not be formally charged but will instead be dealt with by their respective parents. Both families apologized for the incident, recognizing the serious impact it had on the community.
"Anybody who has raised kids knows it sometimes takes some work and time to get the full truth behind an initial story," District Attorney Hogan added. "At this point, we are simply glad that we can assure the parents and children of Chester County that Halloween remains a safe and fun event."
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On November 1, 2015 the Kennett Square Police Department received reports of Halloween candy that had been tampered with...
Posted by Kennett Square Police Department on Sunday, November 1, 2015
In Gloucester County, New Jersey, Woodbury Heights Police said they received a report of a needle or pin being found in a Snickers Almond chocolate bar.
Another report of a razor blade found in a Halloween Snickers bar was also being investigated in Bristol Borough, Bucks County.
And a girl in western Pennsylvania admitted to making up a story about finding a razor blade in her candy after cutting her mouth with the blade, requiring stitches.
Police asked that anyone with information about candy tampering contact their respective department.
