Valentino Luchin, a 62‑year‑old former Bay Area chef, was arrested after allegedly carrying out three bank robberies in San Francisco on September 10, 2025. Authorities say Luchin used the same method in each incident — passing threatening notes to bank tellers in the Central District demanding cash, then fleeing with the money. Officers traced the three robberies back to him with help from community tips and the SFPD Ambassador program. He was booked on charges including robbery, attempted robbery, and second‑degree robbery, and is being held on $200,000 bail. Luchin previously worked at local Italian restaurants, including Rose Pistola and Ottavio, the latter of which closed in 2016. According to his defense, financial hardship and depression following those business closures contributed to his alleged actions. He has a prior conviction from 2018 involving a bank robbery in Orinda, for which he served jail time and probation.