A week after the Tate–LaBianca murders, Moorehouse was arrested with the family in the August 16, 1969 Spahn Ranch raid as "suspects in a major auto theft ring" that had been stealing Volkswagen Beetles and converting them into dune buggies. Weapons were seized, but, because the stolen property could not be directly tied to anyone, the group was released a few days later. Months later at the Myers Ranch in Death Valley, Susan Atkins told Moorehouse about the murders of coffee heiress Abigail Folger and pregnant actress Sharon Tate. Moorehouse allegedly responded with laughter and told Atkins she couldn’t wait to get her first “pig”. Moorehouse later told Barbara Hoyt that she knew of 10 more murders other than Tate.