‘Bonnie and Clyde' robbery suspects plead not guilty

The duo that police accuse of going on a "Bonnie and Clyde" crime spree the past few months have pleaded not guilty in separate courts.

Emily Clark, 36, of Willows, has been charged in Butte County with second-degree robbery with the added enhancement of using a firearm in the commission of a felony.

Clark is charged in connection with the armed robbery of a Dollar Tree Store in Chico on Sept. 4.

Clark waived her preliminary hearing Tuesday and will be arraigned on formal charges on Oct. 16, court records indicate.

Clark was arrested Sept. 13 with Gary Dean Belcher, 57, formerly of Willows. Police said he has confessed to a pair of bank robberies, one in Corning the other in Colusa, and several other armed robberies in the Corning area.

The couple were suspected of being the same two people who entered a Chico bank wearing disguises the same afternoon of their arrest.

Belcher, who was arrested with a loaded handgun in his possession, has been charged in Tehama County with robbing the Bank of America and a Subway restaurant in Corning, and attempting to rob the Chevron Station at the nearby Rolling Hills Casino.

Belcher has pleaded not guilty to the crimes, which have the added enhancement on each count of using a firearm in the commission of a felony.

Belcher is scheduled to appear in Tehama County Superior Court on Tuesday for a pretrial conference and then Oct. 10 for a preliminary hearing.

Belcher reportedly told Corning police investigators while being transported from Butte County Jail to Tehama County Jail that he robbed the Bank of America on Sept. 10, and the US Bank in Colusa on Aug. 31, Corning police Chief Don Atkins said.

Atkins said Belcher also confessed to robbing the Subway shop on July 25, and to robbing the Chevron station on Aug. 23.

Tehama County District Attorney Gregg Cohen said he has been in touch with the US Attorney's Office discussing the potential for federal prosecution.

"Until I hear further from them, we will continue to prosecute this case locally," he said.

Clark remains in custody in Butte County. Belcher is in custody in Tehama County.

CONTACT Susan Meeker at 934-6800 or smeeker@tcnpress. Tri-County Newspapers reporter Julie Johnson contributed to this report.