'Creepy' person who left porcelain dolls on doorsteps of families not actually a creep

US police have solved the mystery surrounding a "creep" who left porcelain dolls on the doorsteps of homes in California – and it turns out the perpetrator is actually a well-meaning church-going woman.

Eleven families reported finding the dolls on their porch, with each doll resembling a girl who lived in the house.

An Orange County sheriff's official told the Los Angeles Times the woman behind the dolls is "embarrassed at the fear she instilled in the community" because "she thought she was just being nice."

The woman apparently decided to give the dolls away because her own daughters had outgrown them.

"When she was deciding which dolls to give to which girls, she did make a conscious decision that she thought certain dolls resembled certain girls," the sheriff's official said.

As none of the dolls had a note or explanation attached, many families reported the find to police who at the time told the media the discovery gave off a "creepy vibe".

Investigators soon discovered the woman attended the same church as all the targeted family members and was well-known to them.

"I think everyone was so worked up and concerned that when they found out it was her being kind, most people just breathed a sigh of relief," the sheriff's official said.

Source: Los Angeles Times