Police in San Francisco, California, arrested Valentino Luchin, a well-known former chef, on September 15 on bank robbery charges.
Authorities say Luchin, 62, entered a bank in Chinatown at 12:02 p.m. on September 10 and handed a teller a note demanding money.
After receiving the cash, Luchin fled. Two other banks in the downtown area were robbed in a similar manner the same day.
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Former chef Valentino Luchin in San Francisco. Photo: Independent |
Former chef Valentino Luchin in San Francisco. Photo: Independent
Acting on tips from the community, police identified Luchin as the suspect and arrested him without incident. He is being held at the San Francisco County Jail on 200,000 USD bail. The total amount stolen from the three banks is unknown.
Luchin was once the chef at Rose Pistola in San Francisco. He later opened his own restaurant, Ottavio, in Walnut Creek in 2010, where he also served as chef, but the establishment closed in 2016.
Luchin was previously arrested for robbing a Citibank in Orinda in 2018, using a fake gun to steal 18,000 USD. He cited financial desperation as the reason for the 2018 robbery. He was sentenced to one year in prison for that crime.
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A view of San Francisco, California. Photo: AP |
A view of San Francisco, California. Photo: AP
Source: LA Times, East Bay Times
