Waukegan Police Investigate Metal Objects Found in Child's Halloween Candy

Waukegan police are investigating the discovery of metal objects inside chocolate candy collected by a local child.

The incident was reported to officers around 7:30 p.m. on Saturday at a residence in the 3000 block of Grandville Avenue. The girl is nine years old. Her mother told investigators that the family had returned home from trick-or-treating when the child noticed a magnet sticking to pieces of chocolate. The mother then opened and tore apart several pieces of the candy to inspect them. She found sewing needles, bobby pins, copper wire, plastic fragments, and a gold nail inside the chocolate.

Deputy Chief Craig Neal of the Waukegan Police Department explained that the girl had previously watched a video suggesting that trick-or-treaters use a magnet in their bags to detect metal. The child placed the magnet inside her bag during the outing to check for tampered items. The family had visited homes in the area of Flossmoor Avenue, Leith Avenue, and Ridgeland Avenue. They also stopped at locations near Waukegan High School on Brookside Avenue, including on Leith Avenue, Lynn Terrace, and Flossmoor Avenue. The family was unable to identify the specific house where the affected candy was received.

Officers collected the candy and the foreign objects as evidence for the Criminal Investigations Division. Neal stated that the case remains open and that no suspect leads have been located as of Wednesday morning. No charges have been announced. Police said they are not aware of any other similar incidents in the city.

The department issued a public safety notice on Saturday evening to alert residents. The notice described the discovery of possible foreign objects, including metal hairpins and wire, inside wrapped and unopened candy during the citywide Trick-or-Treat event. That event was held from 2 to 5 p.m. on Saturday. Police urged parents to inspect all candy before children consume it. They advised guardians to discard any candy that appears tampered with or contains suspicious items.

In a similar report in McHenry County in November 2019, a Huntley resident claimed a large sewing needle was found inside a Kit Kat bar. Then-Deputy Police Chief Mike Klunk said investigators later determined that report was fabricated. Police in Waukegan have asked anyone who finds suspicious items to call the department at 847-360-9000 or dial 911 in an emergency.