Tony Alamo won’t surrender; denies affiliation with the Alamo Ministries churches
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The Newhall Signal
October 13, 1989
Alamo changes mind. Won’t surrender; denies affiliation with Saugus church
Tony Alamo has changed his mind.
Alamo, the 54-year-old religious leader charged with child endangerment, said Thursday he will turn himself in to the FBI and denied any affiliation with the Holy Alamo Christian Church in Saugus or the Alamo designs line of clothing.
Attributing his decision to a “one-sided smear campaign,” Alamo said he must get his point across and clear the Alamo Designs name.
Alamo Designs clothing was yanked from racks of numerous clothing stores in recent months after the Commission on Cults of the Jewish Federation Council told store owners and managers that Alamo is the leader of a religious cult and is wanted by the FBI.
But Alamo said during a phone conversation Thursday he has nothing to do with the Alamo Designs company – he is hired by the clothing manufacturer as a “freelance designer.”
“I have a press release coming out on the Jewish Federation. I can’t understand, of all the people…why they would attack me like that…How could I be a cult leader? I’m just leading myself here.”
Alamo added he has severed all ties with the Holy Alamo Christian Church in Saugus and Arkansas.
“My ministry is to the five billion people in the world – and I’m not connected to the churches what-so-ever.”
Alamo is wanted by the FBI for unlawful flight to avoid prosecution, and FBI spokesman Jim Neilson said Thursday Alamo had not turned himself in.
An Alamo church volunteer announced earlier this week Alamo planned to do so, but Neilson said, “He’s still a fugitive.”
A federal warrant for Alamo’s arrest was issued in April when authorities were unable to locate Alamo to respond to charges stemming from an incident last year at Alamo’s Sierra Highway church in which he allegedly instructed followers to beat the 14-year-old son of a church member.
“I don’t feel that I’d like to go in to a paid bunch of criminal liars for a court case,” he said, adding, “I’ve got thousands of witnesses who will testify on my behalf that none of that type of stuff ever happened at my church – ever.”