The Region - News from March 14, 1986

Glendale police and county health officials are investigating a report that a hypodermic needle was found inside an orange purchased at a Ralphs Grocery store. All of the oranges have been taken off the shelves of the store at 1416 E. Colorado St. and are expected to be examined for possible contamination. A Glendale police spokesman said the department has a half-inch hypodermic needle that reportedly was in a portion of the orange bitten into by Kimberly Ford, 23, of Eagle Rock. Ford said she plans to take a battery of tests today to make sure she has not contracted any illness from the needle, which she had to spit out. Jan Charles Gray, vice president of the Ralphs grocery chain said: “We are having people check the 127 other stores’ produce. But we believe that this is an isolated incident.”