Suspect In 2017 Sonoma Bank Robbery Caught In Florida: Sheriff

SONOMA, CA — DNA helped Sonoma County sheriff's detectives track down the suspect in a 2017 Sonoma bank robbery. Thirty-two-year-old William Paul Brust, of Pacifica in San Mateo County, is believed to be the man who entered Umpqua Bank, 100 W. Napa St. at about 10 a.m. Sept. 18, 2017 wearing a wig, dark glasses and a black sweatshirt, Sonoma sheriff's Sgt. Spencer Crum said Friday in a news release.

"Brust passed the teller a note demanding money," Crum said. "After receiving an undisclosed amount of money, Brust fled from the bank on foot and scaled a fence leading to the Best Western Motel next door and was able to get away."

A witness noticed a man shedding clothing and pointed that out to responding deputies, who found the wig and sunglasses in a garbage can at the hotel, Crum said.

Detectives submitted the items to a DNA lab and received a good DNA sample but unfortunately, no immediate matches came up in a search of law enforcement's DNA database.

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"This DNA sample stayed in the database for any future hits on anyone who may get arrested with the same DNA," Crum said.

Fast forward to Feb. 6 of this year, when detectives were notified of a DNA match after Brust was arrested in Pinellas County, Florida on suspicion of counterfeiting and drug charges, the sergeant said.

Sonoma County detectives determined Brust was living in San Mateo County at the time of the Sonoma bank robbery. According to Crum, detectives then compared a San Mateo County sheriff’s booking photo of Brust to the surveillance footage from Umpqua Bank — and they matched up.

Brust has since been transferred from Florida to a San Francisco County jail to face drugs and weapons charges pending against him.

But Sonoma County sheriff's detectives have a no-bail arrest warrant for Brust in connection with the Sonoma bank robbery.

"... He’ll be transported to Sonoma County once his legal issues in San Francisco are resolved," Crum said, expressing gratitude to the Sonoma community.

The witness tip that led to the recovery of DNA "is an excellent example of our alert residents working together with their police department to help solve violent crime and make our community safer," the sergeant said.