Manson Cultists Held In Shootout
Monday, August 23rd, 1971
HAWTHORNE, Calif., Aug. 23 – Five suspects captured in an attempted robbery and 10-minute shootout with police in a Los Angeles suburb were identified yesterday as followers of cultist and condemned murderer Charles Manson.
A sixth suspect was being sought. He was identified as Charles Allen Lovett, a brown-eyed, goateed, 165-pound, 19-year-old with the Manson “family” X scratched on his forehead.
The object of the raid on the Western Surplus Store in Hawthorne was guns, not money. The robbers had smashed gunracks and collected about 140 guns when police arrived in response to a silent alarm.
Three of the suspects, Catherine “Gypsy” Share, 26, Mary Brunner, 26, and Lawrence Edward Bailey, 22, were wounded by shotgun pellets.
All were reported in fair condition.
The trio, along with Dennis Rice, 32, and Kenneth Como, 31, a Folsom Prison escapee, were booked on charges of armed robbery and attempted murder.
Lt. Larry Dykehouse of the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s homicide detail speculated the motive of the robbery:
“During the course of the trials (hearings involving Manson and other family members) threats have been made, against judges, prosecutors, defense attorneys, the district attorney and others and it also has been stated that Manson and the other defendants would be freed.”
Charles “Chuck” Lovett was in my 5th grade class in Van Nuys, CA.
His last name was Brown, then one day it was changed to Lovett.