Last Halloween, one dad turned treats into a pretty nasty trick. You might remember that police in Oakdale, CA, issued a warning to trick-or-treaters who received their candy in the Burchell Hill Drive area, letting them know that a parent had turned in his kids’ Halloween candy after reportedly finding small pieces of metal inside some of the chocolate bars. The police recreated the route the family had taken, and said that the specific candy bars involved were miniature versions of Snickers, Milky Way, Mars and Almond Joy bars, and Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups, CBS Sacramento reported at the time.
The man’s claims lead to a local panic.
The Oakdale Police Department (OPD) quickly confirmed that the tampering had not occurred when the chocolates were manufactured, which meant it was more likely that whoever had bought them had been the one to insert the metal.
Photos of the tainted candy show just how scary the situation was.
If you look at the top left of this Almond Joy bar, you can just about see a needle:
BE ON THE LOOKOUT! Police in Oakdale, California are warning parents to check Halloween candy after parents found metal pieces LIKE THIS in their children's treats. https://t.co/Ldk6Ekmwy0 #kwch12 pic.twitter.com/OenaAtIk7A
— KWCH 12 News (@KWCH12) November 2, 2018
Mathew Blackcloud, 32, the Oakdale father who reported the crime, maintained that he wasn’t the one responsible.
But on Thursday, the OPD confirmed that he has been arrested, thanks to persistent investigation and forensic analysis.
Rumors of dangerous objects in Halloween candy seem to surface every year. Here’s a report from 2017:
Police warn parents to double check their children's Halloween candy for razor blades, needles and drugs as reports surface. pic.twitter.com/WxrGlEncY0
— CBS News (@CBSNews) November 2, 2017
They’ve been ruining people’s Halloween experiences for decades.
My parents forbade me from going trick-or-treating on Halloween because they thought people were putting razor blades in the candy.
— Apprentice Archeon (@jlsteeleauthor) May 17, 2019
But thankfully, stories of tainted Halloween candy are usually just urban legends taking the thrill that comes with a scare too far:
Some people get a thrill and sense of purpose from believing evil is secretly working in their communities, hiding behind smiles of their neighbors and acquaintances. Salem witch trials, 80s day care panic, D&D Satanism claims, the scary clowns, razor blades in Halloween candy
— Jim Geraghty (@jimgeraghty) February 17, 2019
As with Oakdale, most are later proved to be hoaxes:
Teen cuts her mouth with razor, fakes story about razor in Halloween candy, police say https://t.co/koWXZ65sSA pic.twitter.com/eAkwTp5vto
— NBC New York (@NBCNewYork) November 4, 2015
OUCH.
Tricked! Claim of needle found in halloween candy is a hoax, yet again https://t.co/ubhLNuK57l pic.twitter.com/mGU8lzD1le
— HuffPost (@HuffPost) November 9, 2015
Most people now see these stories as just another lie you believed as a kid.
Razor blades and LSD in Halloween candy https://t.co/3NzsGgO1Ue
— Craig Bro Dude (@CraigSJ) October 3, 2018
And now, it’s treated as a joke.
Finding jokes about this is as easy as, er, taking candy from a baby?
Even YouTubers are using it as a chance to dig at their rivals:
PARENTS: please check your kids candy when trick or treating, there are still really fucked up people out there who put shit like razor blades, needles, and team 10 merch into your kids halloween candy. Stay safe everyone!
— elijah daniel (@elijahdaniel) October 30, 2018
A certain scooter company has presented an excellent opportunity for puns:
Well, really just the same pun…
PSA!!! Thoroughly check your Halloween candy before eating it! found a razor in my m&m's pic.twitter.com/fG05DCTJvd
— Ellie Krug (@ellie_krug) October 31, 2016
Groan. Parents…
Some are more worried about other perceived threats to Halloween fun:
Never mind the razor blades in candy, look out for something MUCH more terrifying this Halloween ... pic.twitter.com/CWyp8jRH5U
— David Mackinder (@davepest) October 24, 2016
As usual, there are conspiracy theories:
In case you were worried about the kids of Oakdale, their Halloween 2018 had a happy ending.
Some parents were so concerned by the reports that they threw out all of the candy their kids had collected. Luckily, in a move that could have come straight from an episode of ‘Brooklyn 99’, the Oakland Police Department responded by throwing an event they named Operation Happy Halloween 2.0 on the following Saturday morning, local newspaper The Modesto Bee reported.
Oakdale Police Initiate “Operation Halloween 2.0”https://t.co/dJthgY4nI5 pic.twitter.com/X5v43nz0Pe
— Oakdale Police Dept - CALIFORNIA (@OAKDALEPOLICE) November 2, 2018
Not only were kids given free replacement candy — they got to go inside the OPD’s armed response vehicle (translation: extra cool police car) and play with McGruff, the department’s canine officer.
Justice has been served, and it tastes sweet as candy.
