Citibank at Irving Street and 21st Avenue in San Francisco’s Sunset neighborhood | Joe Burn/The Standard
A man used cellphone translation to try to rob nine San Francisco banks over six days, police said Thursday.
In five of the nine incidents, the bank tellers complied and gave the suspect cash before he fled the scene, police said.
Police arrested 34-year-old Julien Lee as the suspect and booked him into San Francisco County Jail for alleged second-degree robbery, grand theft and resisting arrest, along with outstanding San Francisco warrants for robbery, burglary and grand theft.
In all of the robberies, the suspect would enter the bank, show the teller a note and demand money. Police did not provide the amount of cash stolen in any of the incidents.
During a robbery of a Citibank on Tuesday, the suspect used a cellphone to translate a written note from Chinese to English to demand cash, Police Chief Bill Scott told the Police Commission on Wednesday night.
San Francisco Police Chief Bill Scott | Morgan Ellis/The Standard
SFPD’s Robbery Detail led an investigation, where team members obtained footage of the suspect from surveillance cameras and shared a crime alert across the whole department.
After responding to the Tuesday robbery, Richmond Station officers saw a man matching the suspect’s description around 4 p.m. on Geary Boulevard. As officers attempted to detain Lee, a brief pursuit ensued before Lee was taken into custody.
The nine bank robbery attempts occurred at the following locations on the following dates:
May 3, 2023, in the 200 block of Winston Drive near 19th Avenue
May 5, 2023, in the 2000 block of Irving Street between 21st and 22nd avenues
Monday in the 6100 block of Geary Boulevard between 25th and 26th avenues
Monday in the 600 block of Eighth Street between Brannan and Townsend streets
Monday in the 300 block of Clement Street between Fourth and Fifth avenues
Monday in the 1800 block of Irving Street between 19th and 20th avenues
Tuesday in the 2600 block of Ocean Avenue between Lagunitas and Woodacre drives
Tuesday in the 2600 block of Ocean Avenue between Lagunitas and Woodacre drives
Tuesday in the 2000 block of Irving Street between 21st and 22nd avenues
Two businesses on Irving Street told The Standard that the workers saw police cars outside US Bank at 1850 Irving St. and Citibank at 2000 Irving St. around the times of robberies were reported on May 5 and Monday.
A man wearing a Mickey Mouse necklace allegedly robbed a Citibank in the Richmond district Monday.
US Bank and Citibank did not respond to requests for comment before publication time.
