By Shavonne Walker
shavonne.walker@salisburypost.com

SALISBURY — A local father is concerned after his 12-year-old son punctured the roof of his mouth after biting into a straight pin inside his Halloween candy.

On Wednesday evening, Howard Peacock Jr. said he and his two youngest children, son, Tristin, 12, and daughter, Bethany, 14, drove to the Grace Ridge subdivision — the only place they intended to go trick-or-treating. They’d gone last year and even saw his nieces with their children this year.

Peacock prefaced his concerns about what they found by saying he didn’t want people to look down on Grace Ridge and the people who live there, but he wanted to warn other parents.

“I looked at the surroundings and thought it was the safest place we could go,” he said of Grace Ridge.

“I’m sure there’s a lot of fine people, but if somebody did put pins in them two candy bars I hope they realize what danger it could’ve been and what if it had been their children,” he said.

Tristin bit into a mini Snickers and something stuck the roof of his mouth.

“He said, ‘Look what’s in my candy,’ ” Peacock said.

“It was a straight pin with no head. It stuck him in the roof of his mouth behind his front teeth,” he said.

After his son looked inside the candy to find a straight pin he decided to look inside the other Snickers bar and found another straight pin.

Peacock said she called 911 and two officers arrived seized the wrappers and took the straight pins. The officers, two deputies with the Rowan County Sheriff’s Office, recommended Peacock take his son to the hospital.

Tristin received a urine test and X-ray to make sure there was no pin in his stomach or throat, Peacock said.

“He checked out OK. We got out of the hospital late,” he said.

Peacock said he’s not sure whether this was some strange accident or was done on purpose.

This ordeal has turned Tristin against Halloween and trick-or-treating.

“He told me, ‘Dad I’m through with candy,’ ” Peacock said.

He said he told his children from now on he’ll buy them candy for Halloween. Peacock said he realizes the children were already nearing the age where they were probably getting too old to trick-or-treat anyway.

He warned his nieces about the candy and said they never found any straight pins in their children’s candy.

Peacock also posted the situation on Facebook, along with pictures of the straight pins, which was done via a relative’s post that has been shared over 2,000 times.

Peacock said the post has garnered some negative comments from some people who say they believe this is one of those Halloween stories that go around every year.

“I don’t want to ruin Halloween for the kids,” he said, but he did want to warn others.

The Rowan County Sheriff’s Office did respond to the call Wednesday at about 8:30 p.m. regarding what was initially reported as a needle found in a small Snickers bar, said Capt. John Sifford.

Deputies went to Mae Road where they determined a 12-year-old did get stuck with a needle that was located inside a small sized Snickers bar.

Sifford confirmed the children went to the Grace Ridge subdivision only between 6 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. The subdivision is located off Grace Church Road. He said the child was unsure of which house he may have received the candy. He was treated for a minor injury.

Anyone with information about this case can call the Rowan County Sheriff’s Office at 704-216-8700 or Crimestoppers at 1-866-639-5245, or go to tips.salisburyrowancrimestoppers.org and report your information anonymously.

Contact reporter Shavonne Walker at 704-797-4253.