Gless Fan Reportedly Planned Assault, Suicide

An “obsessed” fan who barricaded herself inside a Studio City house owned by actress Sharon Gless was armed with 500 rounds of ammunition and intended to sexually assault the actress before committing suicide, authorities said Tuesday.

Additionally, authorities said that during a burglary of the same residence a week before the standoff, Joni Leigh Penn, 30, of Santa Ana, allegedly stole an address book in the hope of tracking down Gless at her Malibu home. Los Angeles Police Detective Chuck Hart said the book, which police discovered during a search of Penn’s car on Friday, did not contain the actress’s address.

Penn pleaded not guilty Tuesday to two counts of burglary at her arraignment in San Fernando Municipal Court. Commissioner Gerald T. Richardson, saying Penn posed a danger to the community, denied bail.