More than two decades after she allegedly tried to bomb a pair of Los Angeles police cars, former Symbionese Liberation Army soldier and federal fugitive Ms Kathleen Soliah was arrested early on Wednesday near her home in Minnesota.
Ms Soliah (52), whose 24 years on the run had taken her from San Francisco to Zimbabwe and finally to St Paul, was arrested peaceably, not far from her expensive Tudor-style home in an upmarket neighbourhood near the Mississippi River. She and her husband returned to the US from Zimbabwe in the mid-1980s, settling in Minnesota after a brief stay in Baltimore.
Living under the name Sara Jane Olson, she was married to a doctor with whom she had three children. She was involved in local Democratic politics and acted in community theatre, where she had roles in productions including Macbeth and King Lear.
Los Angeles detectives interviewed former acquaintances and family members and used the Internet to find Ms Soliah. They also received tips about the lesser-known SLA member from the TV show America's Most Wanted, which broadcast a show last month about her.
Ms Soliah had been living on the run since September 18th, 1975, the day she unwittingly led FBI agents to Patricia Hearst, the kidnapped newspaper heiress who eventually took up arms with her SLA captors.
She had come to the attention of the FBI after she gave a fiery speech condemning the shoot-out on May 17th, 1974, with Los Angeles police in which six SLA members died, including one of Ms Soliah's best friends.
She is charged with planting pipe bombs under two LAPD cars, in apparent retaliation for the shoot-out. She was indicted for conspiracy to commit murder in 1976, authorities said, and could face 20 years to life in prison if convicted. The detective who supervised the investigation, said Ms Soliah was "somewhat surprised and somewhat relieved" over her arrest.
Her husband, Dr Gerald Peterson, said neither he nor his children had any inkling of his wife's double life. "I know nothing about that," Dr Peterson said in a telephone interview. "I'll tell you the truth, I'm totally shocked." Dr Peterson said he and his children were confused and frightened by the arrest, which came without warning. Ms Soliah was stopped by police in her white mini-van.
Her parents, Martin and Elsie Soliah of Palmdale, California, said Dr Peterson knew his wife was a fugitive. "She told him about her situation when they got serious," Mrs Soliah said. "He understood." Mr Soliah said he hoped his daughter would not be judged too harshly.
"She has led a decent life. She's a mom. She's a person who works in her community, someone who cares about others."
Ms Patricia Kramer, a neighbour for more than a decade, said Ms Soliah participated in block parties, Christmas celebrations and belonged to the neighbourhood crime watch group.