'There Was Mold Inside Of The Elmo Head,' LI Woman Makes Disgusting Discovery In Son's Mask
FREEPORT, N.Y (CBSNewYork) -- A Long Island mother got a Halloween scare that she wasn't expecting.
As CBS2's Tracee Carrasco explained, on Tuesday the woman was warning other parents about a costume danger that she discovered.
When Tiffany Fleming of Freeport ordered her son Ryan's Halloween costume online from Toys R Us her biggest concern was whether it would fit.
She discovered something else entirely.
"I saw that there was mold on the inside of the Elmo head," she said.
When opening the package on Tuesday afternoon, Fleming turned the Elmo head piece inside out only to discover black patches of mold.
"It's scary because you don't think that that's going to be on something that's meant to be used on a child. Mold would make him sick even just to wear it for a few hours," she said.
The costume was made in China, and distributed by a popular costume company called Disguise.
Fleming contacted Toys R Us customer service, but said their offer to exchange the costume or give her a refund isn't enough.
"I feel like they should do more. They should first of all investigate it. I'm sure I'm not the only one. I can't be the only one that's getting something like this," she said.
A Toys R Us spokesperson told CBS2, "Although this appears to be a single isolated incident, we regret any time a customer has a poor experience."
With the thought of her 2-year-old wearing the moldy costume -- Fleming wants to warn other parents.
"Don't just assume that it's ready to wear right out of the package," she said.
Toys R Us also said their order are inspected prior to shipping. They are working closely with the manufacturer to ensure this doesn't happen again.
Fleming said she also plans to contact the manufacturer.
