Blog

Jun 10, 2023

Don't touch the tape, NJ cops warn

Linwood police are sounding the alert after two women became ill after touching a piece of blue painter's tape someone had stuck to the rear window of their vehicle. "Based on how both women were

Linwood police are sounding the alert after two women became ill after touching a piece of blue painter's tape someone had stuck to the rear window of their vehicle.

"Based on how both women were feeling after touching the tape, they believed they may have been exposed to a dangerous substance," police said.

It happened before 2 p.m. on May 19.

Both women were transported to Shore Medical Center for evaluation, but police did not comment on their exact conditions.

Officers could not find the tape at the scene, and therefore could not send it for a lab analysis.

A New Trend?

Police are urging the public to remain vigilant and not touch anything that appears out of place or suspicious.

"It is unknown whether this is an isolated incident, a new trend, or whether there was any intent to harm individuals," police said in a statement.

In April, there were a series of TikTok videos showing how to open a car window with tape if you locked your keys inside.

At the time, there were concerns the method could be used to break into a vehicle.

However, it was clear packing tape or silver duct tape that was used in the video and the tape was applied to the side window, not the rear window.

If you encounter any suspicious object on or around your vehicle, please do not touch it and contact the Linwood Police Department immediately at 609-927-5252 or call 911.

Report a correction 👈 | 👉 Contact our newsroom