Pair Plead Not Guilty in 2 Women’s Kidnaping

Two reputed gang members pleaded not guilty Wednesday to charges they kidnaped two women and demanded $100,000 in ransom for their return. Anthony Beck, 26, and Charles Gless, 19, were ordered held without bail. A preliminary hearing was set for June 26.

They are charged with abducting two South Los Angeles women, Toni Merceron, 27, and Rhonda Ervin, 26, from Ervin’s 91st Street apartment Sunday night.

The abductors, wearing ski masks and carrying guns, drove their victims to an unknown location and then made phone calls to the victims’ relatives, demanding $100,000 in ransom.

Police staked out the ransom drop site near Manchester Avenue and Avalon Boulevard and freed the unharmed victims from a van driven by Gless about eight hours after the abductions.

Gless was arrested at the scene. Beck was arrested later at his home.