Talkative bank robbery suspect back in Santa Rosa

<p>A bank robbery suspect whose surveillance camera photo led to his arrest pleaded not guilty to several charges during his first court appearance Tuesday.</p><p>Christopher Wenmoth, 37, was charged with burglary, robbery and grand theft in connection with the July 23 robbery of the Montgomery Village branch of US Bank. He told Sonoma County Superior Court Judge Andy Wick he is currently unemployed, so Wick appointed a public defender for him.</p><p>Wenmoth, who once ran for a seat on the Santa Rosa school board, pleaded not guilty to all charges and asserted his right to a speedy preliminary hearing. </p><p>Wenmoth was identified as a suspect after the release of a high-quality photo snapped by a security camera. He was arrested on Interstate 90 in Minnesota by a state trooper who ran his license number and discovered the bank robbery warrant.</p><p>Minnesota troopers said they found evidence in his car that links him to the holdup.</p><p>Bank staff told police a man handed a teller a note demanding cash during the afternoon. No weapon was shown. Police released an unusually good quality surveillance camera image shortly thereafter, prompting several acquaintances of Wenmoth to say it looked like him.</p><p>During his incarceration in Minnesota, Wenmoth called a Press Democrat columnist and said he has a gambling problem and suggested he has “brain chemistry issues. Neither issue was brought up in court Tuesday.</p><p>A preliminary hearing was set for Aug. 29. He will remain in at Sonoma County Jail on $50,000 bail, pending a bail review hearing Thursday.</p>