Defendant in bear killing wants venue change

Gilbert Wetenkamp, the South Lake Tahoe man accused of killing a bear in July, is seeking to have the trial moved to the West Slope.

He was in court on Jan. 8. El Dorado County Superior Court Judge Suzanne Kingsbury said she is not inclined to grant the motion, but told Wetenkamp’s public defender that he has the right to fill out the requisite paperwork.

The trial date has been set for March 11.

In September, Wetenkamp pleaded not guilty to one misdemeanor count of unlawful taking of an animal. He is accused of shooting a black bear to death on July 9. The 2½-year-old bear was shot in the backside with buckshot from a shotgun.

The maximum penalty, if convicted, is one year in jail and a $1,000 fine.

— Lake Tahoe News staff report