LOS ANGELES, Apr. 27 — A Panamanian ranch hand who said he became friends with Charles Manson testified Wednesday that Manson would drive around the San Fernando Valley, pointing out homes in which he wanted to slaughter children in front of their parents.

Juan Flynn was called as a defense witness at the third murder trial of former Manson “family” member Leslie Van Houten, 28, who is charged with the August 1969 knife slayings of Leno and Rosemary LaBianca.

Flynn said he worked at the Spahn Ranch in 1969 during the same period that Manson and his followers lived on the grounds.

He said one day he was driving around with Manson in the San Fernando Valley and Manson pointed out various houses, saying they would be “tombstones for the mechanical people who did nothing but rape the earth.”

The ranch hand testified that Manson often would ask him to break into a house, tie up everyone inside, and then let Manson in. Flynn said on one occasion he did break into a house and was followed by Manson who told him they would kill the residents.

Flynn said he refused.

Flynn said Manson spoke constantly of killing people during the summer of 1969 and said he wanted to “slaughter” children in front of their parents.

Miss Van Houten is accused of killing the LaBiancas the night after actress Sharon Tate and four others were slaughtered by Manson family members.

The six murders allegedly were part of Manson’s “helter skelter” plot, in which he hoped to trigger a race war between blacks and whites through random killings. Manson believed he and his followers would emerge after “helter skelter” as the ultimate victors.

Miss Van Houten was convicted in 1971 of killing the LaBiancas and sentenced to life in prison. Her conviction was overturned by the state Court of Appeals, which ruled she should have been given a separate trial because her attorney died in the midst of the proceedings.

Her second trial ended in a hung jury last year.