3 Alleged Manson Followers Charged In Armed Robbery
Wednesday, August 25th, 1971
LOS ANGELES, Aug. 25 – Three alleged followers of hippie guru Charles Manson were formally charged Tuesday in Inglewood with armed robbery in connection with a raid on a Hawthorne gun shop that ended in a shootout with police.
Two other suspects, apparently not part of the “Manson family,” also were charged in the criminal complaint.
Manson disciples Dennis Rice, 32; Mary Brunner, 26, and Catherine Share, 28, were named in the complaint, as were Lawrence E. Bailey, 22, and Kenneth Como, 32, a Folsom prison convict who escaped custody here while waiting to testify at a trial.
Bailey, Miss Share and Miss Brunner were wounded in the gun battle Saturday at the Western Surplus Store but they were reported recovering satisfactorily.
Detectives believe the holdup, foiled by a silent alarm, was to obtain weapons to free Manson, now on trial at the Hall of Justice for two slayings. He earlier was convicted of the seven Tate-LaBianca killings.
A preliminary investigation showed the guns were meant for “assaults on certain courtrooms downtown to free one or more persons,” Deputy Dist. Atty. James Ideman said in court.
Municipal Court Judge John Lynch set bail at $100,000 for each. He scheduled a preliminary hearing for Sept. 30 in his court.
Police said the defendants had taken 140 guns from the Hawthorne store when officers arrived.
A sixth suspect was sought. He was identified as Charles Lovett, 10, described as a Manson follower.
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