Child neglect and abuse are, unfortunately, more common than most people like to think. Good Samaritans often play a crucial role in identifying cases, alerting authorities, and getting the proper agencies involved. However, the emergence of hyper-realistic "reborn" dolls recently put a damper on the “see something, say something” approach.
Case in point: A UK woman's house was broken into by law enforcement because officers thought they saw an “abandoned baby” inside. Although the woman says she can now look back on the incident and laugh, her story is a reminder that things aren't always what they seem.
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The UK woman makes and sells reborn dolls.
Ava Prior, 44, of Malvern, Worcestershire, England, creates reborn dolls as a hobby. She also sells them online for up to $225 each. In December 2023, she dressed one of her hyper-realistic dolls and put it in an infant car seat to snap some photographs. She left it on her floor, shut off the lights, and went to visit a friend, Sky News reported.
Her mother called the police when she didn’t answer her phone.
While Ava was visiting her friend, her mother attempted to contact her but couldn’t because Ava had turned off her phone. "I was going through a divorce at the time,” she said, per Metro. “I always answer my phone or text, so when she couldn't get hold of me she panicked.”
Her mother called law enforcement, who went to Ava’s house to conduct a welfare check.
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Police investigated, and they thought the reborn doll was a real child.
West Mercia Police were alarmed upon seeing the reborn doll alone in the car seat, mistaking it for a real baby. After unsuccessfully attempting to break in the front door, officers smashed through Ava’s back patio door.
"The UPVC front door had the trim off it and a big dent in the front,” she told Metro. "Apparently that didn't give way so they went round the back and then put the patio door through."
Officers reportedly caused nearly $500 in damage.
After realizing their mistake, police found Ava at her friend’s house and explained what happened. "I went to the door and they said, 'Do you have a baby?' and then I realized what it was about,” she recalled. "I told them I painted life-like dolls and they said, 'Well you're very good at it because we've just broken into your house.’”
In total, the police break-in reported cost between $440 and $500 in damages.
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Ava now has a sign on her door to prevent future problems.
Following the mishap, Ava has taken precautions to avoid a similar incident of mistaken identity. She placed stickers on her windows that read, "'Reborn dolls on premises. NO babies are alone in the house — please do NOT panic or break doors/window. Many thanks :)."
In hindsight, Ava told Sky News, “It wasn't hilarious at the time but I can see the funny side now.”
