The death of a 7-year-old Lake Elsinore girl was likely the result of a pre-existing disorder and not because of Halloween candy that she consumed, authorities said Friday.
Riverside County sheriff’s Sgt. Brett Seckinger said the child suffered an unexplained pulmonary episode shortly after 11 a.m. Thursday, prompting paramedics to go to her family’s residence in the 15000 block of Audrey Lane.
Seckinger said that the victim was in respiratory distress, and first responders initiated CPR. She was taken to Inland Valley Medical Center in Wildomar, where she died that afternoon, according to the sergeant.
“Information provided to detectives from the family (indicated) the child may have had an allergic reaction from a known food allergy,” Seckinger said. “There has been speculation on social media sites indicating the child died after consuming candy from trick-or-treating. This rumor is untrue. There have been no reports of any children becoming ill from Halloween candy in the Lake Elsinore area.”
He said the coroner’s preliminary inquiry pointed to the likelihood of a congenital disorder precipitating the girl’s death.
The case remains open and under investigation. Anyone with information was asked to contact the sheriff’s Lake Elsinore station at (951) 245-3300.