Needle found in NJ trick-or-treater's Tootsie Roll

RUNNEMEDE, N.J. (WPVI) -- Charlene Wagoner wants her neighbors to be warned. Last night, her 12-year-old daughter, Lilyana, discovered a two-inch sewing needle inside a tootsie roll.

"My main concern is just to make sure kids in the area know this is not a hoax, this is not a trick," said Charlene Wagoner. "It's not. It's for real."

The Wagoners had just returned to their house on the 500 block of Iva Court after trick-or-treating all around their Runnemede neighborhood.

"I was in the mood for a Tootsie Roll and then I take it out and I open the wrapper. I try to split it in half because I wanted to save half for later," said 12-year-old Lilyana Wagoner. "I realize I can't break it in half. I pull it and I start to see the needle come out."

Lilyana immediately asked her mom what it was.

"It just came right out of the Tootsie Roll," said Charlene. "I took it out of her hand and I was like this is a sewing needle, and she got freaked out."

Charlene snapped photos of the needle right away. They estimate they visited about 60 homes Halloween night.

Runnemede police confiscated all of Lilyana's candy. Now an investigation is underway.

"I strongly suggest to parents that you go through children's candy. Examine it. Anything that looks open or partially opened- throw it out," Runnemede Police Chief Paul Dailey "We avoided a potential disaster here."

Police looked at all of Lilyana's candy and found no other pieces had been tampered with. They know of no other cases in Camden County.

Police said they will try to go door to door as they work to figure out where this tainted Tootsie Roll came from.

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