Jan 30, 2000 - 01:45 PM

Family Under Psychiatric Watch After Talking About Leaving Earth The Associated Press

CORONA, Calif. (AP) - A family of six was under psychiatric observation after telling neighbors they planned to leave Earth - and then piling trash and their belongings in the center of their living room, authorities said.

Police were called to the apartment Friday about 5:50 p.m. after a passerby saw the family members and worried about their safety, police Sgt. John Rasso said.

"One of the neighbors was concerned," he said. "She saw them all sitting in the living room floor. ... There was a big pile of trash and personal belongings in the center of the room."

The neighbor told police the family had made doomsday predictions, believing the end of the world was coming, Rasso said.

"They said they would leave this Earth at midnight and as soon as God took them, their goods that were piled up would catch on fire," Rasso said.

After police arrived, the father, 38-year-old Charles Brown, awoke from a trance-like state, Rasso said.

Brown and his wife, Manya, 38, and their three children - an 18-year-old woman, an 11-year-old girl and two 14-year-old boys - were taken to the Riverside Emergency Treatment Services facility Friday for a 72-hour psychiatric observation and evaluation.

The case also was referred to Child Protective Services.

Police said neighbors and a relative indicated the family belonged to a cult, but it was not clear what group they claimed to be affiliated with.

Corona is about 55 miles southeast of downtown Los Angeles.

-- Charli (claypool@belatlantic.net), January 30, 2000

Answers

California = home to the fruits and nuts. What else can I say?

-- (formerly@nowhere.zzz), January 30, 2000.

SHEesH, wAIt TILl thE DeBONkers gET aHold oF THIs. WONdeR whAT tHeSe PEoplE wErE oN? maYBe THey wERe sMOkin cRAwdADs WIth jEThro.

-- debonker idiots (inquiringminds@want.toknow), January 30, 2000.

Geez! This is just more proof that all of the inmates never made it to the asylum. Stories like this feed the fires of sarcasm with folks who don't approve of preparedness.

-- Irving (irvingf@myremarq.com), January 30, 2000.

If we were like Clintoon we could say, "What is the definition of leaving the earth? Technically we could climb on a chair and have left earth or use stilts and have left earth. However if the earth includes the atmosphere then how thin does the atmosphere have to be before we've left earth? That is, if I were Clintoon.

-- Guy Daley (guydaley@bwn.net), January 30, 2000.

Sorry...I forgot to also mention that outlandish actions and like these folks took raise questions on a number of fronts. In case you had not noticed, many folks who believe in prep are also spiritually active. The appearance of looney-tunes zealots like those in the article gives many decent and concerned folks a bad image.

People can believe as much or little as they wish. This particular example does seem a bit extreme, though.

-- Irving (irvingf@myremarq.com), January 30, 2000.

Sorry...I forgot to also mention that outlandish actions and like these folks took raise questions on a number of fronts. In case you had not noticed, many folks who believe in prep are also spiritually active. The appearance of looney-tunes zealots like those in the article gives many decent and concerned folks a bad image.

People can believe as much or little as they wish. This particular example does seem a bit extreme, though.

-- Irving (irvingf@myremarq.com), January 30, 2000.

I wonder if that pile of trash was shaped like Devil's Tower, Wyoming?

-- Steve Baxter (chicoqh@home.com), January 30, 2000.

Irving, FWIW the statistically significant differential which categorizes persons as schizophrenic verses normal folks with unusual spiritual experiences is narcissism.

-- Hokie (Hokie_@hotmail.com), January 30, 2000.

Maybe Charlie Brown got depressed because there is no more Peanuts comic strip. What a blockhead.

-- Hawk (flyin@high.again), January 30, 2000.

Just goes to show you that insanity is contagious. Why do you think they lock 'em up (most aren't a threat to anyone) and why do people have such a horror of the insane? Think about mass hysteria.

-- Ceemeister (ceemeister@hotmail.com), January 30, 2000.

Those of us who see war and the exploitation of others as insane might wonder what we can do to get this whole planet committed-- to something more than prozac.

-- tim phronesia (phronesia@webtv.net), January 31, 2000.