Chef Arrested for Armed Bank Robbery
A man suspected of committing an armed robbery at a branch of Yangxin Bank yesterday was arrested in Banqiao District this evening.
At around 2:00pm yesterday, December 28, a man entered the bank on Minhang Road, Banqiao District, pointed a pistol at bank staff and shouted “Robbery!” The robber then jumped the counter and grabbed a total of NT$3.4 million in cash before fleeing on a scooter.
Police identified the scooter as having been stolen earlier the same day. The abandoned scooter was found in a riverside car park in Luzhou District at around 11:00pm. A replica handgun was found in under-seat storage compartment of the scooter.
Clothes worn by the suspect during the robbery were found discarded in a demount-able public toilet nearby a short time later.
Police investigators identified the suspect as a 29-year-old man named You (游), with a previous criminal record for theft, after a DNA analysis of hair found on the discarded clothing.
Police watching You’s residence on Daguan Road in Banqiao District closed in on the suspect as he arrived home, but You spotted the police and attempted to escape by crashing into a police car. Officers fired four shots before You surrendered: two into the air, and two at the tires of the suspect’s vehicle.
“Do you know why we are looking for you?” a police officer asked You.
“I know,” You responded, as he pointed to the trunk of his car, where police found NT$2.33 million in cash in two paper bags and a duffel bag.
Investigators discovered that You had abandoned the scooter, gun, clothes, and bags used in the robbery at around 4:00pm. You then took a taxi to Taipei City where he redeemed his E300 Mercedes Benz for NT$900,000 at a pawn shop. You then returned to his residence in Banqiao, where he lives with his parents.
According to reports in United Daily News, You worked as a Chef at the prestigious Silk Road Feast restaurant at The Westin, in Taipei City, and had gone to work as normal today after having taking two days sick leave, during which he had committed the bank robbery.
SETN notes that You won a bronze medal last year at a culinary competition where he presented a dish of stewed ox cheek cooked in sherry.
During his confession, You told police that his motivation for the crime was gambling debts. Of NT$200,000 still unaccounted for, You claims to have lost it during his escape.
Police are suspicious about You’s statement, and are continuing investigations to determine if anyone else was involved in the case.
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