Two parents were arrested after “candy” suspected of containing THC made some middle school students sick.
Martin Jay Hulst, 40, and Amanda Rhae Hulst, 43, were arrested on felony drug charges in connection with the incident. The couple are parents of a child who allegedly brought the THC-laced candy to Horizon Middle School East Campus in mid-May.
Moorhead Police Chief Chris Helmick said 12 students ingested the substance, and two needed to be taken by ambulance to a local hospital for further evaluation. Many others began showing up at the school’s health office experiencing nausea and related symptoms. Helmick said based on interviews that some students knew what they were ingesting while others did not.
Parents Jailed
A day after the incident, Moorhead officers searched a home on the block of 10½ St. N. Helmick said investigators recovered prohibited amounts of THC products along with psychedelic mushrooms and a large amount of cash. The parents were not home at the time but were arrested early the following day. They were charged based on what was found during the search of their home, not for what happened at school, according to Helmick, although additional charges could be filed.
- Martin Hulst is being held on a first-degree felony charge of possession of a controlled substance.
- Amanda Hulst is being held on a first-degree felony charge of selling narcotics.
This marks the second time that arrests have been made related to controlled substances being found at Horizon Middle School. In mid-December, a 13-year-old student was arrested after allegedly bringing 1,500 pills that could contain fentanyl to the school. He was charged with first-degree possession of a controlled substance and was taken to a juvenile detention center.
“It’s very easy to say, what is the school doing or not doing, and I want to make it very clear that this isn’t the school’s issue,” said Moorhead Public Schools Superintendent Brandon Lunak. “These incidents are coming in from the outside and we’re, together as a team, dealing with them as they come.”
As a parent, one of the things we fear most is the lack of parenting from other parents. All involved children deserve better, and hopefully the Hulsts will learn from their mistakes and not place their child and other students in danger going forward.
If you or someone you know has been charged with a drug crime or a related criminal offense, reach out to Avery and the team at Appelman Law Firm for more information and assistance. Give us a call today at (952) 224-2277.
