VIENNA (AP) — Police in Austria thought vandals were responsible after a statue in a town square was beheaded.

Their investigations came to an abrupt end Wednesday when they found out that the statue's creator was the culprit.

Police in the town of Neusiedl am See said the sculptor was acting on the request of a local official, who thought the head of Saint Rosalia was weathered and needed restoring.

But other officials and the townsfolk were not informed, and a resident soon went to police to report the "crime." The artist cleared up the situation after he read about the misunderstanding.

A police statement said: "The mystery is solved."