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The United States ordered a recall Wednesday of 1.5 million baby strollers manufactured in China for US company Graco Children's Products after fingertip amputations suffered by children.
The US Consumer Product Safety Commission announced the voluntary recall of the Graco's Passage, Alano and Spree strollers and travel systems manufactured between October 2004 and February 2008.
"Graco has received seven reports of children placing their fingers in the stroller's canopy hinge mechanism while the canopy was being opened or closed, resulting in five fingertip amputations and two fingertip lacerations," it said in a statement.
"The hinges on the stroller's canopy pose a fingertip amputation and laceration hazard to the child when the consumer is opening or closing the canopy."
The strollers were sold in US retail stores such as Burlington Coat Factory, Babies "R" Us, Toys "R" Us, Kmart, Sears, Target and Walmart.
This is the second major recall in recent months of strollers following reports of fingertip amputations and injuries.
Last November, about a million strollers, manufactured also in China for Britain's Maclaren were recalled after there were 12 reports of fingertip amputations in the United States.
He also set up web chats and even had intimate telephone conversations with his contingent of male fans, using his "very feminine voice" to dupe them.
The admirers were charmed into sending gifts to "Bree", including an iPhone and a small dog.
One affluent doctor even handed over US$15,000 ($16,438).
The scam was only uncovered after authorities, prompted by an investigator hired by the real Condon, tracked Brown down to a budget motel room in Austin, Texas.
John Carbona, a private investigator involved in the case, told the Los Angeles Times he was stunned to find out that "Bree" was a man.
"I'd been talking to this person for three months," Carbona said. "I'm telling you this guy has either had his gonads removed or he is talking through a voice synthesizer."
"He (Brown) had this whole persona created," Carbona added. "You have to hand it to this kid. He stayed in character for two years."
Representatives for Condon, who has never met Brown, said she "pursued this with law enforcement because she was very concerned about other people being conned by this impersonator, especially since he was apparently taking money from people and engaging in behavior that Bree would never participate in."
A grand jury indicted Brown on a felony theft charge last week and Austin police are currently investigating whether he created a fake "official" website for Condon, as well as Facebook and MySpace profiles in her name.
"We think there are a lot of other (duped) guys out there. How many, I don't know," Austin police Det. Carl Satterlee said.
