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Chef Robbed 3 Banks In The Same Day: San Francisco Police
Valentino Luchin, 62, allegedly robbed three banks using handwritten notes in San Francisco's Central District, linked by police and community tips, following financial struggles and bankruptcy.
- On Wednesday, Valentino Luchin, 62, former executive chef and restaurant owner, was arrested after allegedly robbing three San Francisco banks consecutively in the Central police district, including a noon robbery on the 1,100 block of Grant Avenue near Chinatown.
- Bankruptcy filings show Valentino Luchin, 62, and his wife defaulted on a Chapter 13 plan in 2015, owing $110,000 with just $27,000 in assets, prompting financial strain after Ottavio's 2016 closure.
- Surveillance footage shows a hooded man in dark glasses and white gloves allegedly brandishing a BB gun; authorities recovered cash and a pellet gun, linking the crimes before arresting the suspect without incident.
- After his arrest, Luchin was booked into the San Francisco County Jail and remains in custody; prosecutors allege he faces two counts of robbery and one of attempted robbery, while officials did not disclose the stolen amount.
- The case recalls Luchin's 2018 arrest after an Orinda Citibank incident where he allegedly fled with $18,000; Valentino Luchin, former Rose Pistola chef and Ottavio owner, drew strong local interest last week.
28 Articles
28 Articles
Famed San Francisco chef arrested for string of bank robberies
A prominent Bay Area chef was arrested last week for allegedly robbing three San Francisco banks in a single day, authorities said. Valentino Luchin, 62, of San Francisco, was taken into custody on Sept. 10 after allegedly passing notes demanding money to bank tellers at three separate locations in the city’s Central District, according to the San Francisco Police Department. The first incident occurred around 12:02 p.m. when Luchin allegedly en…
Renowned Walnut Creek chef arrested, again, in bank robbery spree
SAN FRANCISCO — At this point, it’s probably safe to say that Valentino Luchin is better at cooking risotto, calamari, and grilled lamb sirloin than he is at robbing banks. In 2018, the celebrated chef and former owner of an Italian restaurant in Walnut Creek pleaded guilty to robbing an Orinda bank and received a yearlong jail sentence, followed by probation. Now he’s back in jail, this time in San Francisco, where prosecutors accuse him of rob…
Celebrity chef arrested for allegedly robbing 3 San Francisco banks on same day
A celebrity chef from Northern California was arrested for allegedly robbing three banks in San Francisco on the same day - and it's not the first time he's faced similar accusations.
A well-known Italian chef from San Francisco was arrested on charges of robbing three banks in the Central District of the American city. All the blows would take place on the same day, Wednesday, September 10, and in the same way. Valentino Luchin, the name of the 62-year-old cook, reported by the police, handed over to the clerks of handwritten tickets asking for money. A first complaint had led the investigators to quickly identify Luchin as …
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