SANTA FE, Texas – The Santa Fe Police Department is warning the community after receiving several calls from concerned parents saying the candy picked up at Wednesday’s Santa Fe High School homecoming parade was tainted.
The department stated that pin-style needles were reportedly found in at least three pieces of candy that were thrown during the parade.
Parents who reported finding needles were reportedly in different areas along the parade route, ranging from Centennial Oaks to Highway 6 and Warpath.
Police said three people turned in candy, two Kit Kats and a musketeer. In one of the cases, police said a girl grabbed a Kit Kat bar and noticed a hole in the wrapper and a needle embedded inside the chocolate bar. Police said that indicates the needle was intentionally placed.
The needle was described as a sewing pin with a little ball on top.
One father, Jeremy Partin, said his teenage daughter found a sewing pin lodged inside her younger siblings Kit Kat bar.
“I pick it up and sure enough, there’s a clear as day needle sticking, you know that’s inside the chocolate,” Partin said. “Basically, atomic bomb goes off in my head. Daddy mode kicks in, you know, start pacing around the house, you know. Did anybody eat anything?”
Fortunately, Partin’s kids had not eaten any of the candy, but with Halloween around the corner, he says he will be taking extra steps to make sure his kids are safe.
“Typically we always go through our kids candy just in case but from now we’re gonna let them do the Halloween and all that but I’m just gonna throw away the candy just to take any suspicion away and just buy them their own candy,” he said.
The department is urging anyone who was at the parade to check through any candy picked up at the parade.
If anything is found, please contact SFPD at the non-emergency line, 409-925-2000.
No suspect has been arrested.