Mother of Slain Girl Seized in Drug Raid : Narcotics: Woman and two others are taken into custody at Newhall home. Her daughter had been sexually molested and murdered last year.

A woman whose plight gained statewide attention last year after her missing 7-year-old daughter was found sexually molested and strangled in a neighbor’s house was charged Thursday with drug possession, authorities said.

Linda Hodges, 43, of Apple Valley and two others were arrested Tuesday night when Los Angeles County sheriff’s deputies raided the Newhall house where she formerly lived with her daughter, Sara Nan. Hodges was visiting the home at the time of the raid.

The deputies seized a quarter pound of methamphetamine, a gun and $5,000 in cash, said Deputy Gabe Ramirez. Arrested with Hodges were Don Hall, 38, and his sister, Mary Alexander, 39, who live in the home in the 24900 block of Alderbrook Drive.

Deputies said they found a small quantity of methamphetamine in Hodges’ purse and she was charged with possession of the drug, commonly referred to as speed. Deputies said they believe the larger quantity of drugs belonged to Hall and Alexander, who were charged with the sale of methamphetamine. An investigator said there was no evidence Hodges was involved in the sales of drugs at the house.

Hodges and Hall pleaded not guilty Thursday in Newhall Municipal Court. Alexander’s arraignment is set for Monday.

Hodges lived with Alexander in the Alderbrook Drive house in March, 1989, when her daughter disappeared while playing outside. She became the subject of a massive search by deputies and community volunteers for three days before her body was found March 26 in a neighbor’s home.

The girl had been sexually molested and strangled and her body was stuffed behind the headboard of a water bed. Fourteen-year-old Curtiss Cooper was arrested, later pleaded guilty to killing the girl and was sentenced to 25 years to life in prison.

The disappearance and death of the girl touched the community and dozens of strangers helped search for her, attended her funeral and contributed to a fund to pay her funeral costs.

Four months after the tragedy, Sara Nan’s father, Wallace S. Mann, who was separated from Hodges, committed suicide on the girl’s grave. Investigators concluded that Mann, 36, was distraught over his daughter’s slaying and the breakup of his marriage.

Deputies said Linda Hodges’ arrest this week came after a two-month investigation of activities at the house on Alderbrook Drive. A narcotics investigator said the investigation was begun after deputies received numerous complaints from neighbors that drugs were being sold at the house.

An investigator, who asked not to be identified, said Hodges was often seen at the house during the investigation and was believed to have remained close friends with the two other suspects after moving to Apple Valley last year. The investigator said Hodges was doing yardwork at the house at the time investigators arrived Tuesday night with a search warrant for the property.

He said Hodges was arrested at least once before for drug possession.

Deputy Dist. Atty. Brad Stone said deputies found three-tenths of a gram of methamphetamine and a bag containing cotton balls soaked with liquid methamphetamine in Hodges’ purse.

“She had a good usable quantity but not enough to imply sales,” Stone said.

The quarter pound of the drug found in the house could be worth as much as $3,750 if sold on the street, deputies said.

Hodges, who has one other daughter, was being held at the sheriff’s station jail in Valencia in lieu of $5,000 bail. No bail was set for Hall because his arrest violated his parole for a conviction of possession of narcotics for sale, deputies said.

Alexander was released on $15,000 bail. Her husband, Robert Alexander, was shot to death by a sheriff’s deputy in 1983 after a struggle erupted when he was arrested on suspicion of possession of narcotics paraphernalia.