A first-grader was taken to an emergency room Wednesday after being pricked by a methamphetamine-tainted needle hidden inside a teddy bear, Nevada police said.
The seven-year-old boy found the toy animal in a trash can outside the Mark Twain Elementary School in Carson City, Sheriff Ken Furlong said in a statement.
“Deputies arrived at the scene, retrieved the teddy bear and secured five hypodermic syringes that had been hidden inside the bear,” Furlong said. “Presumptive tests on the syringes gave a positive indication for methamphetamine. Further testing for communicable deceases is being performed.”
The boy's parents and grandparents were contacted and family members "elected to self-transport the victim to an area emergency room for treatment,” he added.
School officials explained that the trash can was located in a playground area that is shared with the Carson City Parks and Recreation Department for activities. “As a result, the area is routinely exposed to public activities and uses,” Furlong said.
Other items, including alcohol containers, were found and passed on to officers, according to NBC affiliate KRNV.
