A 20-year-old Riverhead man has been arrested and charged with endangering the welfare of a child after allegedly giving a Riverhead Middle School student he lived with a THC-infused candy.
Police said Marvin Dominguez Torres gave a 14-year-old student he lived with “Medical Nerds,” which the student shared with his two friends at the middle school on Wednesday. Police said none of the students required medical attention.
Police were called to assist with a school investigation into the incident on Thursday. After an investigation by the detective division, Dominguez Torres was arrested, and then processed and released on a desk appearance ticket. Police said the remaining candy was destroyed and not distributed further.
The candy involved in the incident, marketed as Medicated Nerds, is a flavored candy infused with THC — the main psychoactive compound in cannabis — modeled and packaged similarly to the popular Nerds candy. Police said in a press release the incident is “another example of how important it is to keep prescription drugs, alcohol, nicotine and marijuana away from anyone under the age of 21.”
Police said parents should keep drugs in a safe location out of reach of young children and teens “who are naturally curious” and have a conversation with their children about the dangers of drug use and how some drugs are packaged similarly to conventional candy products.
Police said the incident is not connected to others reported at the Riverhead High School, one of which involved a THC-infused chocolate bar.
Anyone with additional information on the incident is urged to call the Riverhead Town Police at 631-727-4500 x 312 or the Riverhead Police Department Crime Hotline at 631-727-3333. All calls will be kept confidential.
Psychologists, social workers and school counselors are available at the school to help parents and students, police said. Additional information and resources about youth drug and substance abuse prevention can be found on the Riverhead Community Awareness Program’s website.
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