The Region : 5,000 Gifts That Stink

Five thousand dolls donated to 15 hospitals and public service agencies reek of kerosene and may contain stuffing contaminated with a potentially toxic solvent, Los Angeles County officials warned, although all but a dozen of the toys have been located and there have been no reported injuries. Harbor-UCLA Medical Center notified the county Department of Health Services about a petroleum or kerosene-like odor coming from the cases in which the dolls were packed. The 16-inch Cabbage Patch-types and 24-inch Little Princes were imported from Taiwan 18 months ago and stored by Stevedoring Services of America in Long Beach. The unidentified importer went bankrupt and when he requested the storage container be returned, Stevedoring donated the contents to charity, not knowing they were tainted.