By Lekshmy Pavithran
Copyright gulfnews
A well-known California chef arrested for a 2018 bank robbery was back in custody this week after police said he robbed three banks in a single day.Valentino Luchin, 62, who worked at two popular San Francisco restaurants, including one he owned, was arrested on Wednesday on multiple robbery charges. .Oman arrests four Asian expats over armed robbery at gold shop. Robbery spree in San FranciscoSan Francisco police responded to a robbery report, but the suspect had already fled. An employee said a man had passed a note “demanding money”, which they complied with.According to the San Francisco Police Department, Luchin struck three different banks across the city on September 10, passing handwritten notes demanding cash. Officers first responded to a bank near Grant Avenue in Chinatown around noon..US robbers who touted crime on Instagram jailed. After receiving a bag of cash, the suspect fled. Police have not disclosed the total amount stolen.Investigation leads to arrestThe city’s Robbery Unit, aided by SFPD ambassadors and community tips, quickly identified Luchin as the suspected robber. Authorities linked him to two more Central District bank heists that day based on similar descriptions and robbery methods.Luchin was arrested later the same day at his home in the Central District and booked into the San Francisco County Jail. He faces two counts of robbery and one count of attempted robbery and remains in custody awaiting formal charges..Kim Kardashian robbery case: Ten stand trial in Paris over 2016 gunpoint jewel heist. Not his first run-in with the lawAccording to KTLA, this isn’t Luchin’s first run-in with the law. In 2018, he was arrested for allegedly robbing a Citibank in Orinda, California, stealing $18,000 and reportedly using a fake gun during the incident.Following that arrest, Luchin admitted in a jailhouse interview that the closure of his restaurant, Ottavio Osteria, in 2016 left him in financial trouble. “Desperation leads you to do things you never thought you were capable of,” he said, adding he never intended to hurt anyone.. Career and backgroundBorn in Italy’s Veneto region, Luchin immigrated to the US in 1993 and quickly became a rising star in the culinary world. He served as executive chef at Rose Pistola in San Francisco’s North Beach before opening Ottavio Osteria.In 2022, he reportedly joined Old Clam House, one of San Francisco’s oldest restaurants, though it’s unclear if he still works there. Chef expresses regretReflecting on his actions, Luchin admitted his plan was misguided. “My action wasn’t aggressive. It was a fake gun. I don’t even know how to load a real gun,” he said.He also reportedly wrote an apology letter to one of the tellers and expressed regret for his actions. .Kerala: Man stages fake Rs4 million robbery to defraud father-in-law, arrested.Ex-NRI robs Kerala bank to support lavish lifestyle, hide debt from wife.India: Masked robbers steal ₹25 crore in daylight heist at Tanishq showroom in Bihar.Kuwait: Ex-police officer gets 15 years in jail for attempted robbery
