Man charged in Hannaford attack remains in jail

Christopher E. Wentworth at Rochester District Court last week. (Harrison Thorp photo)

ROCHESTER – An Iraq War veteran who allegedly went berserk striking several men in the Milton Road Hannaford’s parking lot last month, then three days later reportedly stole a truck and led Candia, N.H., police on a high-speed chase before being captured continues his stint in the Strafford County Jail as he awaits a mental health evaluation.

Bail for Christopher E. Wentworth, 43, of 82 Chestnut Hill Road, Rochester, is set at $10,000 cash while the examination is scheduled.

When Wentworth was first arrested on Oct. 15 after allegedly striking several men in the parking lot with a club-like object, his bail was set at $10,000 cash pending admittance into the Strafford County Community Corrections program and a mental health evaluation.

Upon completion of the evaluation and program admittance, Wentworth’s bail was to be converted to $10,000 personal recognizance, which it was soon after.

But whether Wentworth ever underwent the mental health evaluation is uncertain. Blair Rowlett, Director of the Mental Health Supervision Program at Strafford County Community Corrections, said oftentimes entrants in their system are released back onto the street as long as mental health services are set up, and sometimes prior to an actual exam.

 Rowlett said due to privacy issues, she couldn’t state whether that was the case with Wentworth.

She said on Tuesday, however, Wentworth will have to undergo a mental health evaluation before his $10,000 cash bail is converted to personal recognizance.

Just three days after the parking lot fracas, Candia police say Wentworth stole a Ford F-350 truck and after being stopped for speeding, led police on a high-speed nighttime chase toward Deerfield, N.H., with his vehicle lights turned off.

Candia Police Sgt. Scott Gallagher said that incident began around 11:15 p.m.

Wentworth finally ditched the vehicle and was captured after a short foot chase.

Candia Police charged him with felony Receiving Stolen Property, misdemeanor Disobeying a Police Officer and speeding.

Wentworth, who served as a semi-trailer truck driver in Iraq delivering ordnance to field troops, appeared in handcuffs and leg straps at Rochester District Court last Monday for his probable cause hearing on the Hannaford charges. The hearing was continued.

It was back on the morning of Oct. 15 that Wentworth allegedly began terrorizing folks in the Hannaford parking lot at the Lilac Mall.

According to police, Wentworth first approached a male victim who was seated in his vehicle and began a verbal confrontation. Police say Wentworth then took out a black “crow bar” type object that was approximately two-feet long and struck the victim in the chest. As the victim was trying to get back into his vehicle the suspect struck the victim in the leg multiple times with the object causing bruising, police said.

The suspect then approached another male who was unloading a delivery truck at the front of the Hannaford’s and waved the blunt object at the man in a threatening manner, police indicated.

Police said the suspect then hit the delivery truck victim in the head with a large bag of popcorn, which Wentworth had gone into the supermarket to get.

According to police, the suspect then turned and walked toward two older males who were putting groceries in the trunk of their vehicle and began swinging the wooden club at one of the males. One of the men apparently retrieved a handgun from the vehicle, police said.

Wentworth is said to have then crossed Milton Road and attempted to get inside the VIP Auto Parts Store, but been forced by bystanders back outside where he was taken into custody as police arrived soon after.

Wentworth was charged with four felony counts of second-degree assault, three counts of felony criminal threatening and one count of simple assault as a result of the Rochester incident.

Wentworth served with the National Guard in Iraq. According to his mother, who didn’t want to be identified when she spoke to The Lebanon Voice on Oct. 16, he suffers from PTSD and has been on disability for a little over a year. His mother also said the “crowbar” type weapon he used in the Rochester attacks was a small stick he carried with him for protection against a neighborhood dog.