Today marks the 50^th anniversary of the Hibernia Bank robbery in San Francisco, committed by the Symbionese Liberation Army. The robbery was one of the SLA’s most publicized actions, primarily because kidnap victim Patty Hearst was shown on surveillance tape wielding an assault rifle in the lobby. It had been Hearst’s first appearance since she had been taken more than two months prior from her Berkeley apartment. After the robbery, the debate was: did Hearst willingly take part, or was she coerced?

Here are some details about the robbery: 

Hearst and the Tobins

J.O. Tobin, a friend of Patty’s, was the son of the president of Hibernia Bank. J.O. Tobin later was part of a committee who urged President Jimmy Carter to provide clemency to Patty after she was imprisoned (Carter indeed did so). 

Money taken

The SLA walked away with $10,692.51 ($67,740 in today’s dollars). 

Why?

Well, the SLA needed money. The group was hiding in a series of small apartments in the Bay Area. They needed money for rent and supplies such as food. Publicly, they said the “expropriated” the money in order to “fund the revolution.”

Anyone physically hurt?

Two bystanders outside the bank were injured by gunfire as the SLA members left. 

What was Camilla’s role?

Camilla drove the car with its four passengers to the bank. They all went inside: Donald DeFreeze, Hearst, Patricia “Mizmoon” Soltysik, Nancy Ling Perry, and Camilla. DeFreeze and Hearst are captured on the surveillance camera in the lobby, waving their guns around to terrify the customers and tellers. Soltysik jumped over the counter to grab bags of money. Camilla is only on camera as they leave the bank, calmly walking out. 

Camilla identified as an SLA member

The bank robbery was the first solid evidence that Camilla was indeed a member of the SLA. Up until that point, she was only suspected of being in the group. Her face went up on an FBI Wanted poster, and at that point her parents finally knew why they hadn’t heard from her in quite some time.

If you want to know more about Camilla Hall’s role in the SLA, my book, Not the Camilla We Knew: One Woman’s Path from Small-town America to the Symbionese Liberation Army, is available.

Here are a couple of short videos about the bank robbery: