A sewing pin found inside candy thrown out on Oct. 15, 2025 at the Santa Fe High School Homecoming Parade in Texas.

Authorities in southeastern Texas are warning community members to check candy thrown during a high school homecoming parade after three families reported finding sewing pins inside the sweets.

The candy was distributed on Wednesday, Oct. 15 at the Santa Fe High School Homecoming Parade, the Santa Fe Police Department said on social media. The department added that officers went to at least three different homes in the area and confirmed reports of sewing pins in the candy.

At least one of the candies was identified as a Kit Kat bar by the family that found it. Todd Scott, senior manager of communications at the Hershey Company, told USA TODAY that Hershey products are made under a strict quality and safety program, including metal detectors and visual inspections.

"Once our products leave our facility, we unfortunately do not have control over how they are handled," Scott said. "We know the recent news is worrisome, and anytime candy is distributed publicly, we encourage parents to help their children sort and check treats at home to ensure no products have been tampered with – this includes unusual appearance or discoloration, tears/holes in wrappers, and unwrapped or spoiled items."

USA TODAY contacted the Santa Fe Independent School District, who referred the newspaper to the Santa Fe Police Department. The Santa Fe Police Department did not immediately reply this week.

'Somebody would've had to have lifted it, put it in there, and laid it back down,' dad says

Jeremy Partin, whose child found the pin in a Kit Kat bar, said there were hundreds of kids waiting excitedly on the parade route that day. The father of four said once his family got home and had dinner, his kids, ages 9 to 18, were ready to dig into the sweets.

“My 18-year-old comes out and grabs a handful out of my youngest daughter’s bag,” he told USA TODAY on Oct. 22. “She pulls it out and runs into the living room, comes back right into the dining room and says ‘Well, I'm glad I grabbed it because here.’”

His daughter handed him a Kit Kat and as he split it open, he saw the sewing pin sticking out of the chocolate wafer bar. The family called the police, who thought it may have been an accident.

"If a needle from a mum fell in a bag and it got stuck into a candy, I can see that happening," he said, referring to corsages often worn at homecoming parades, made with flowers and pins.

But to Partin, it doesn't make sense because the pin was hidden on the back of the candy bar, under the candy wrapper's plastic flap.

"Somebody would've had to have lifted it, put it in there, and laid it back down," he said about the pin wedged into the Kit Kat bar.

Partin shared the experience on social media and not long after he spoke to police, they called Partin back and said other families reported finding pins in their candy as well.

If done on purpose, father hopes police find the person responsible

Partin said each parade float has to register the type of candy they’ll throw out at the homecoming parade. He’s hoping police can track down whoever threw the chocolate out.

“It's seriously disturbing,” Partin said. “Nothing but kids catch this candy in these parades. There's not a whole bunch of adults running around, so if this was intentional, which I think it was, then somebody wants to hurt a kid.”

He said if this was done intentionally by a child, he hopes they get help. If an adult was behind it, he had one response.

“Put me in a room with them for five minutes," Partin told USA TODAY.

His own children were shocked by what happened, and he and his wife used the pin incident to show their kids why they always check their candy before consumption.

Officials want to hear from those who find objects in their candy

Police urged community members to "thoroughly check any candy picked up from the parade,” and said the reports came from families in multiple areas along the parade's three-mile route.

Officials in Galveston County previously shared tips on checking candy during popular seasons like Halloween.

Tips include:

  • Always have an adult check candy before allowing children to eat it.
  • Check the candy under bright lights.
  • Look for tears in wrappers, pinholes, or repackaged candy.
  • Remove items that can be choking hazards.
  • Throw away homemade treats and unwrapped candy.

Partin also cautioned parents to be vigilant when it comes to candy and their children.

“Kids are innocent,” he said. “They see candy. They want to eat it. If it does have something in there, it's going to hurt them, God forbid they swallow it … It was a bad thing that happened, but it also made me and my family more aware of what people can actually do.”

Authorities said community members who find pins in their candy should call the department’s non-emergency line at (409) 925-2000.

Saleen Martin is a reporter on USA TODAY's NOW team. She is from Norfolk, Virginia – the 757. Email her at sdmartin@usatoday.com.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Families find sewing pins in candy distributed at Texas parade

Reporting by Saleen Martin, USA TODAY / USA TODAY

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