Cook some crimes.
A well-known chef from California was arrested last week after allegedly robbing three banks in a single day in San Francisco.
Valentino Routine, 62, who previously served as the executive chef at Rose Pistra—an Italian restaurant loved by locals—reportedly stormed into three banks on September 10th, handing notes to tellers demanding cash, according to the San Francisco Police.
Police responded to a robbery call at a bank located near Grant Avenue in Chinatown around noon. Upon arrival, they learned that a teller had given the suspect money after he presented a memo, clearly concerned for her safety.
Following the handover, the suspect fled the scene. Authorities did not disclose the amount he stole.
An investigation by the city’s robbery squad quickly pointed to Routine as the suspect in these crimes. They found similarities between his description and the methods used in two other bank robberies that took place the same day.
Members of the SFPD’s “ambassador” program and local community tips also helped pinpoint Routine as a potential culprit.
“Officers determined that the individual involved in these robberies was Ruchin,” the police statement read.
The police formulated a plan that successfully led to his arrest without any further incidents.
Routine was taken into custody regarding the three bank robberies and booked in the San Francisco County Jail.
He faces charges of two counts of robbery and one count of attempted robbery. While in custody, he is awaiting formal charges.
This incident isn’t the chef’s first run-in with the law; a former owner at Otabio in Goonut Creek was accused of bank robbery back in 2016.
In 2018, Routine was also arrested on suspicion of robbing a Citibank in Orinda, California, stealing approximately $18,000.
Security footage showed a hooded man, wearing dark tints and white gloves, and brandishing what appeared to be a BB gun.
After his arrest, Routine spoke in an interview from prison, expressing that he resorted to robbing the bank out of “despair” following the failure of Otabio.
“I thought it was a good plan, but it wasn’t,” he admitted, adding, “My actions were not aggressive. It was a fake gun. I don’t even know how to load a real gun.”
He mentioned writing an apology letter to someone he allegedly threatened, though it’s unclear if any charges stemmed from that.
Originally from the Veneto region in Italy, Rucin moved to the U.S. in 1993 and quickly became a notable figure in the culinary scene.
However, after the closure of Walnut Creek, he found himself in substantial financial trouble. He described his life as spiraling out of control.
“It all went downhill,” Routine told a local outlet, expressing that it was a complicated situation.
“Despair can lead you to do things you never thought possible,” he added.
Bankruptcy records reveal that he and his wife were struggling financially, with more than $111,000 in debt and only $27,000 in assets.
