State police are investigating and cautioning parents after a complaint from Thomas on Thursday evening of possible consumer product tampering, coming after two nails were reportedly found in separate, individually wrapped Almond Joy candy bars.

Thomas, of Glen Park, has been buying bags of candy over the course of the last few weeks. For years, she’s filled bags full of candy and handed them out to kids on Halloween. She even keeps a log of how many kids stop by every year.

“Let’s see,” she said, reading from her notes. “Forty kids in 2019, 35 in 2017. That’s bad. Sixty-six in 2011, 64 in 2010.”

About two weeks ago, she said she stopped at the Walmart on Route 3 to buy another bag — this time Almond Joys, one of her favorites.

Deborah Thomas, of Glen Park, stands on the front steps of her house with a bucket of Halloween treat bags, deeming them safe after removing all Almond Joy candy bars from the stash on Friday. (Provided photo — Kara Dry, Watertown Daily Times)

She and a few relatives put together the 73 bags of candy, which they thought to be plenty considering the weather might not be favorable. They added the Almond Joys and were done packing the bags weeks ago.

On Thursday night, with a lot leftover, Thomas decided to have one of her favorite candies.

“I said, ‘I think I’ll have an Almond Joy with popcorn,'” Thomas said. “I took a small bite, looked at it and thought, ‘There’s something shiny in there.'”

What she said she was seeing was a nail stuck inside the rest of the candy bar. She said her grandson immediately took out every Almond Joy from the bags for trick-or-treaters.

“It’s pretty scary,” Thomas said. “I wish I knew how it got in there, but I’m just glad it was me and not a kid.”

She said she opened up a second Almond Joy from the same bag, which were all wrapped individually, and this time she could see another nail inside the chocolate.

She turned the two candy bars over to state troopers, along with the rest in the bag. She said she knows it would be hard to prevent, but she hopes parents try to keep an eye on their children when they’re eating candy this weekend.

According to a Friday afternoon press release from state police, an investigation did reveal that two small, needle-sized nails were reportedly found inside two of the Almond Joys belonging to Thomas. Troopers, too, reminded parents to exercise caution before allowing children to eat any brands of candy received this weekend.

The investigation into the nails is ongoing and anyone with information is asked to contact troopers at 315-366-6000 and reference case number 9900524.

As for Thomas, she still plans on handing out her bags of candy like she always does, of course without the Almond Joys.

“It is very lucky,” Thomas said. “I got a Reese’s peanut butter cup and I’m afraid to eat it. You never know.”