4th Graders Hospitalized After Eating Gummy Bears from Bag with Traces of Fentanyl, 2 Arrested

Clifford Dugan, 50, and Nicole Sanders, 26, were arrested after 7 children at the school fell sick and exhibited symptoms of fentanyl exposure

Two people have been arrested in a Virginia town after a child allegedly brought gummy bears to school and shared with friends, rendering at least seven of them in need of medical attention, according to reports.

Clifford Dugan, 50, and Nicole Sanders, 26, were booked into the Amherst County Adult Detention Center on Wednesday and have been charged with contributing to the delinquency of a minor for the Tuesday incident in Amherst, Va., court and jail records show.

Dugan is facing an additional charge of possessing a firearm as a convicted felon, according to a press statement from the Amherst County Sheriff’s Office.

Seven students at the Central Elementary School “ingested” gummy bears during their lunch break on Tuesday, and authorities identified “residue” in the bag carrying the gummies, according to the statement. The bag, upon being tested, indicated having traces of fentanyl inside it.

The gummy bears were not contaminated, authorities said, according to WDBJ 7. The child who brought the gummy bears was one of the seven who fell sick, and their sibling also brought gummy bears but they were not contaminated.

The school superintendent’s office said in an earlier statement that a student brought the bag to the school, but the child's relationship with the suspects was unclear.

The school superintendent and the sheriff’s office were not immediately available to clarify further.

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Five of the seven students were taken to local hospitals to be treated, according to the sheriff’s office. They have since been released.

The students were experiencing symptoms associated with fentanyl exposure such as nausea, vomiting and muscle spasms, WDBJ7 reported.

According to a timeline provided by investigators, authorities were able to determine within a few hours that there was fentanyl present in the bag containing the gummies, per the outlet.

Dugan is being held without bond and Sanders is being held on $2,500 bond, according to the sheriff’s office.

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