MERCED, Calif. (CNN) — A woman accused of bringing life-like dolls into a California hospital has been arrested.
TV station KFSN was interviewing Tonya Whitney Boehs at Mercy Medical Center when detectives interrupted and told her she’s accused of trespassing.
But right before that happened, she said that it was a misunderstanding and that she never meant to scare anyone.
Boehs says she hasn’t left her apartment since Monday.
That’s when Mercy Medical Center sent out two pictures depicting Boehs and her husband with life-like dolls.
“For the sake of security, I’ve never even considered taking them up into the hospital like we did but we were suggested by nurses,” Boehs said.
She says her husband was getting treated and they figured why not showcase the dolls. Boehs says it’s her business and she takes them with her wherever she goes.
“I take them places with me for advertisement purposes obviously they speak for themselves,” Boehs said.
She says they left after security got involved. A consequence she never intended to happen.
“I’m sorry for the misunderstanding if I knew that this would happen I wouldn’t have done it in no way did I feel … I didn’t mean to make anybody feel threatened or scared or freaked out,” Boehs said.
Boehs went on to say that she makes the dolls for women who have lost babies or can’t have them, and she says they’re therapy for elderly patients.
“It’s just the comfort,” Boehs explains.
She says she also finds solace in the very real to life babies as cervical cancer stole her chance at having any more children.
“What matters most to me is the help I can give other people,” Boehs said.
But police say the evidence says something else. They don’t buy her story that it was a sales pitch.
“We are concerned because she did show up at the ER and attempted to get into the maternity ward not once but twice so that concerns us we’re afraid for the potentiality of an abduction,” said Capt. Tom Trindad of the Merced Police Department.
Boehs, 41, was cited with misdemeanor trespassing and released. The case will be turned over to prosecutors for their consideration.
