Dad finds bag of meth among child's Halloween candy

HERCULES, Calif. -- A parent in Hercules, California, made a startling discovery Monday when he found a small bag of methamphetamine among his 8-year-old daughter's Halloween candy.

Residents are shocked that something like this could happen in their neighborhood. The little girl was trick-or-treating in the Promenade area of Hercules.

"I think this is a good community, so that's a surprise," said neighbor Norman Santos.

It's hard for these people to believe that one of their neighbors may have slipped some crystal meth into a child's Halloween bag.

"I think that's sick, that person is so sick," said neighbor David Pel.

While examining his daughter's candy, Hercules police say the father found a small, pink plastic bag. It tested positive for methamphetamine. The pink packet contained only a tenth of a gram.

"A tenth of a gram is enough for felony charges filed for possession of a controlled substance," said Hercules Police Department Sgt. Ezra Tafesse.

Police don't know if the drugs were intentionally or accidentally dropped in the child's Halloween bag.

Police say it's difficult to fingerprint evidence this small after so many people have handled it. That's why they're not actively pursuing the perpetrator. At most, they want parents to check their child's candy carefully.