Metallica’s Robert Trujillo Recalls Eerie Childhood Encounter with Manson Cult

In a recent episode of The Offspring’s podcast ‘Time To Relax With The Offspring’, Metallica’s bassist Robert Trujillo shared a chilling childhood memory that ties directly to one of the most infamous chapters in American criminal history: the Charles Manson cult. This eerie recounting from Trujillo provides a unique and personal perspective on the terror that Manson and his followers instilled in the late 1960s and early 1970s.

Trujillo’s family was living near the scene of a dramatic gun battle in 1971 between police and Charles Manson’s disciples. The clash, which occurred near his grandmother’s house in Hawthorne, California, was part of the cult’s desperate attempt to rob a gun store for weapons and ammunition. Their plan was audacious: to hijack a plane at LAX and demand the release of Manson, who had been arrested by then.

At just six years old, Trujillo vividly recalled the fear and confusion of that day. He remembered hearing the gunshots and seeing police helicopters, known colloquially as ‘ghetto birds’, circling overhead. In a precautionary move, his father turned off all the

lights in their house, and the family hid in the shower, a moment that Trujillo likened to a scene from ‘Close Encounters’. Adding to the intensity of the situation, one of the Manson family members was hiding in the carport of their apartment complex, perilously close to where the Trujillo family was taking shelter.

The Manson family’s plan, as Trujillo recounted, was bizarre and terrifying in its scope. After robbing the gun store, they intended to proceed to Los Angeles International Airport (LAX), hijack a 747, and demand that Charles Manson be released into their custody. Their ultimate destination after this audacious act was unknown, but the consequences of such a plan succeeding could have been catastrophic.

The police response was swift and decisive. In the ensuing shootout, law enforcement officers managed to apprehend three of Manson’s followers, effectively thwarting their hijacking plan and preventing further chaos. Trujillo’s childhood experience, happening amidst this dangerous confrontation, paints a vivid picture of the fear and uncertainty that Manson’s cult activities generated among the public.

This story, as shared by Robert Trujillo, not only provides a unique personal insight into a notorious period of American history but also underscores the unpredictable nature of life. His experience as a child, caught in the crossfire of a cult’s violent scheme, demonstrates how extraordinary events can erupt into the realm of the ordinary, transforming everyday experiences into tales of survival and close encounters with history.