Woman Pleads Innocent on Gless’ Entry

A woman described as an obsessed fan of actress Sharon Gless has pleaded innocent to charges she barricaded herself in the actress’s home with a loaded rifle, court officials said today.

The woman, Joni Leigh Penn, 30, of Garden Grove, allegedly broke into Gless’ home last March and planned to sexually assault the actress, then commit suicide, prosecutors have said.

Penn, appearing in Superior Court Thursday for arraignment, pleaded not guilty to two felony counts of residential burglary. She was ordered by Superior Court Judge John Major to remain in custody without bail and to return to court June 7 for a pretrial hearing. A July 12 trial was also scheduled.

If convicted of the charges, Penn could be sentenced to up to six years in state prison. Penn had been scheduled to be arraigned today, but her case was moved up a day because court officials mistakenly believed that Judge Major’s courtroom would not be open today.

The District Attorney’s Office said that Penn, armed with a loaded rifle, broke into Gless’ Studio City home March 30, threatened suicide and barricaded herself in a bathroom for nearly seven hours before surrendering to police.

Penn, who was purportedly in love with Gless, also allegedly broke into the home on March 27.