hearsts kidnapping was partly opportunistic as she lived close to the sla hideout according to testimony the main intention was to leverage the hearst familys political influence to free two sla members arrested for the killing of oaklands first black superintendent marcus foster faced with the failure to free the imprisoned men the sla demanded that the captives family distribute $ worth of food to every needy californian – an operation that would cost an estimated $ million in response hearsts father took out a loan and arranged the immediate donation of $ million worth of food to the poor of the bay area the distribution descended into chaos and the sla refused to release hearst