Police Crack 'Creepy' Porcelain Dolls Case

Police in California say they have solved the case of porcelain dolls being left anonymously outside young girls' houses.

The toys, left on at least eight doorsteps in San Clemente, resembled the girls who lived there - all of whom were around 10 years old.

Spooked families in the Talega neighbourhood contacted police, who collected the dolls as evidence and began investigating.

Residents were warned to be on alert and officers began poring over links between the families but - despite the children attending the same school - could not find a meaningful connection.

Detectives also tried to find out if the dolls were bought or handmade - perhaps by someone with potentially sinister motives.

"We're very unsettled and obviously taking this very seriously as it concerns our daughters and little girls," one mother told reporters earlier this week.

However, horror movie scenarios were ruled out when police tracked down the "doll dropper" - and it turned out to be a well-meaning lady from a local church.

Orange County Sheriff's Department said: "Investigators made contact with the female adult who admitted to placing the porcelain dolls on the porch of the various residences in the community.

"Investigators have concluded that her motivation was out of goodwill and that she intended it as a kind gesture."

The OCRegister news website said the woman had admitted trying to match the dolls to the children but had not meant to scare anyone.

Cass wrote:this was just on the morning news......nice but if it had happened to me I would've freaked out big time. in this day and age she should've left a note or something.

a local cafe here was FULL and I do mean FULL of clowns....hanging from the ceiling, on shelves,  prints,  dolls,  puppets even in the bathrooms! the food wasn't great but never went back till they redecorated and got rid of them.....food still wasn't great.

feelthelove wrote:

Cass wrote:this was just on the morning news......nice but if it had happened to me I would've freaked out big time. in this day and age she should've left a note or something.

a local cafe here was FULL and I do mean FULL of clowns....hanging from the ceiling, on shelves,  prints,  dolls,  puppets even in the bathrooms! the food wasn't great but never went back till they redecorated and got rid of them.....food still wasn't great.

Absolutely Cass, poor lady was only trying to do something nice.  Some people have a phobia of clowns, you're not one of them are you???    x

Original Quill wrote:I'm still questioning this ol' lady.  What was her motive and such?

And how come she had dolls that looked like the real little girls?

FluffyBunny wrote:

Original Quill wrote:I'm still questioning this ol' lady.  What was her motive and such?

And how come she had dolls that looked like the real little girls?

I don't think she had a motive as such.

She didn't realise it would be considered sinister and just made those dolls to occupy herself.

You have a suspicious mind sir!  

feelthelove wrote:

Cass wrote:this was just on the morning news......nice but if it had happened to me I would've freaked out big time. in this day and age she should've left a note or something.

a local cafe here was FULL and I do mean FULL of clowns....hanging from the ceiling, on shelves,  prints,  dolls,  puppets even in the bathrooms! the food wasn't great but never went back till they redecorated and got rid of them.....food still wasn't great.

Absolutely Cass, poor lady was only trying to do something nice.  Some people have a phobia of clowns, you're not one of them are you???    x

Ben_Reilly wrote:

FluffyBunny wrote:

I don't think she had a motive as such.

She didn't realise it would be considered sinister and just made those dolls to occupy herself.

You have a suspicious mind sir!  

And I think that lady has very little sensitivity to how parents might perceive such a thing; I'd be scared too. "I know where your daughter lives and what she looks like" ... freaky!

Ben_Reilly wrote:

FluffyBunny wrote:

I don't think she had a motive as such.

She didn't realise it would be considered sinister and just made those dolls to occupy herself.

You have a suspicious mind sir!  

And I think that lady has very little sensitivity to how parents might perceive such a thing; I'd be scared too. "I know where your daughter lives and what she looks like" ... freaky!

FluffyBunny wrote:

Ben_Reilly wrote:

And I think that lady has very little sensitivity to how parents might perceive such a thing; I'd be scared too. "I know where your daughter lives and what she looks like" ... freaky!

She's an old lady. She made an error of judgement.

Well,I assume she was old.

The fact is she spends her free time working on dolls,she is obviously a bit lonely. I can completely understand the parents being freaked out but I don't think the lady was devoid of 'sensitivity' as it never occured to her her actions would be considered sinister in the first place.

Original Quill wrote:

FluffyBunny wrote:

She's an old lady. She made an error of judgement.

Well,I assume she was old.

The fact is she spends her free time working on dolls,she is obviously a bit lonely. I can completely understand the parents being freaked out but I don't think the lady was devoid of 'sensitivity' as it never occured to her her actions would be considered sinister in the first place.

A lot of people with poor impulse control can plead this.  Nevertheless...

It does show one though, that people can be too quick to judge.

FluffyBunny wrote:

Original Quill wrote:

A lot of people with poor impulse control can plead this.  Nevertheless...

It does show one though, that people can be too quick to judge.

Its nothing to do with 'poor impulse control',she thought the families would appreciate,not be horrified,by her gifts.

Obviously if she thinks doing such a thing is appropriate with the concerns in today's modern world she is not thinking clearly.

FluffyBunny wrote:

Ben_Reilly wrote:

FluffyBunny wrote:

I don't think she had a motive as such.

She didn't realise it would be considered sinister and just made those dolls to occupy herself.

You have a suspicious mind sir!  

And I think that lady has very little sensitivity to how parents might perceive such a thing; I'd be scared too. "I know where your daughter lives and what she looks like" ... freaky!

She's an old lady. She made an error of judgement.

Well,I assume she was old.

The fact is she spends her free time working on dolls,she is obviously a bit lonely. I can completely understand the parents being freaked out but I don't think the lady was devoid of 'sensitivity' as it never occured to her her actions would be considered sinister in the first place.

Ben_Reilly wrote:

FluffyBunny wrote:

She's an old lady. She made an error of judgement.

Well,I assume she was old.

The fact is she spends her free time working on dolls,she is obviously a bit lonely. I can completely understand the parents being freaked out but I don't think the lady was devoid of 'sensitivity' as it never occured to her her actions would be considered sinister in the first place.

Words are such untrustworthy things ...

What I meant was that she was lacking in the knowledge of how this might hit a parent of today. I wasn't trying to accuse her of anything; it could be (and probably was) sheer ignorance. I realize "insensitive" implied that she should have known, but I don't know whether she's the type of person who really should have known or who is simply living in her own little world.