RCMP investigating after pins found in Halloween treats

RCMP are investigating after pins were found intreats handed out to children on Halloween night in the community of Devon, southwest of Edmonton.

"It's offensive to people that this happens. It's scary that this could be such a concern for children," said Cpl. Laurel Scott on Friday."We're taking it seriously and we're investigating this, and we will do our best to solve this."

Aparent called police Wednesday evening afterthe pins were discovered as their child checkedtheHalloween candy, Scott said.

The pins were found in three different treats:a marshmallow-based candy, a Starburst, and a deflated bag of Cheetos, RCMP said.

It is believed the three treats were disbursed from the same house, said Scott.

"It's a small community and there were not a lot of houses that the children went to," she said.

She described the pins as about 2.5 centimetreslong and bent at the top, similar to the type used to secure a Remembrance Day poppy to clothing.

RCMP are appealing to people in Devon for information. They also want to alert parents to check their children's Halloween treats if they haven't already done so.

"We've seized the candies and I'm not sure whether we'll be able to get any forensic evidence off the candies," Scott said.

"This is a very alarming occurrence," Sgt. Jolene Nason, Devon RCMP detachment commander said in a news release.

"It's lucky that the child in this incident had the awareness to check the candies prior to them being consumed."

RCMP said this type of incident around Halloween is rare.

"We want to assure our Devon citizens that this is the anomaly in our community," Nason said.

Also Friday, RCMP in Thorsby, 36 kilometres southwest of Devon,said they received a complaint that a child found a pin in a small Coffee Crisp. The incident was reported to police by a local school on Friday morning.

The child, a student at the school, had received the chocolate bar while trick-or-treating, police said.

The pin was a straight pin that looked like the tip had been broken off, police said.

RCMP said they have not made any connection to the Devon incident.