Arrest made in Kristi Noem's purse snatching, officials say

[dalton99a]

Last edited Sun Apr 27, 2025, 02:44 PM - Edit history (1)

https://www.washingtonpost.com/dc-md-va/2025/04/27/kristi-noem-purse-theft-arrest/

Arrest made in Kristi Noem’s purse snatching, officials say
The Department of Homeland Security secretary’s purse contained her driver’s license, medication, keys, checks, department badge, passport and $3,000 in cash.
April 27, 2025 at 11:56 a.m. EDT
By Derek Hawkins, Peter Hermann and Olivia George

Authorities have arrested a person in the theft of Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi L. Noem’s purse — which contained $3,000 cash, her passport and her department badge among other items — from a downtown restaurant last week, law enforcement officials familiar with the matter said Sunday.

The suspect could face charges in the theft from Noem and possibly two other thefts in the District, according to two D.C. police officials, who spoke on the condition of anonymity because the operation is ongoing. One of the potentially related thefts occurred April 17 at a Westin Hotel just blocks from the restaurant where Noem’s purse was stolen on April 20, they said.

“This individual is a career criminal who has been in our country illegally for years,” Noem said in statement provided to The Washington Post through a spokeswoman. “Unfortunately, so many families in this country have been made victims by crime, and that’s why President Trump is working every single day to make America safe and get these criminal aliens off of our streets.”

Noem was dining last Sunday with her extended family at Capital Burger on Seventh Street in Northwest Washington when a person wearing a medical mask walked out with her purse. The bag contained Noem’s driver’s license, medication, keys, and checks in addition to her department badge, passport and cash.

This is a developing story. It will be updated.

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Can ICE Barbie make a statement without praising Dear Leader?

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UPDATE: Noem's purse thief is from Chile

The masked migrant who was arrested for stealing Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem’s Gucci bag containing $3,000 in cash is a Chilean national who was previously busted for a similar scheme in London, law enforcement sources told The Post.

Mario Bustamante-Leiva, 49, of Santiago, was arrested on Saturday after he allegedly made off with the luxury shoulder bag while Noem, 53, was at an Easter outing with her family at The Capital Burger in Washington, DC, sources told The Post.

Bustamante-Leiva, who is in the US illegally, is believed to be part of a large East Coast robbery organization, with law enforcement still on the hunt for another undocumented immigrant who was his accomplice.

Bustamante-Leiva was previously arrested in 2015 for a five-month robbery spree in London, where he made off with nearly 28,000 worth of phones, wallets and computers, according to a report from the Daily Mail at the time.

https://nypost.com/2025/04/27/us-news/illegal-migrant-accused-of-snatching-kristi-noems-gucci-bag-identified-serial-criminal/

[Lovie777]

1. Or a firing squard..............

[kimbutgar]

2. Wouldn't it be funny if the thief was a Russian man ?

[AZJonnie]

4. I do NOT take this woman at her word that the person was here illegally

I suppose it could be true, but they have absolutely zero credibility, especially when it comes to this particular subject. This is always their way of shaping narratives. Get out there with bullshit and gaslighting first, and hope the media never corrects the lies. It usually works, too. Thanks to the pathetic stenographers of the M$M.

[BoRaGard]

7. Or is it another G.O.P. propaganda ploy?

you have to automatically be suspicious with repubes

[dalton99a]

10. "Suspect was a white male"

https://www.nbcwashington.com/news/national-international/arrest-made-in-dhs-secretary-kristi-noems-stolen-purse-case/3900249/

...

The suspect was a white male wearing dark clothing, a dark-colored baseball hat and a white N95 mask, according to two sources familiar with the surveillance footage.

That person entered Capital Burger at 7:55 p.m., sat near Noem’s table, scooted closer and used his foot to slide her purse toward him, according to surveillance footage viewed by law enforcement, sources said. Within minutes, the man picked up Noem’s purse, placed it under his jacket, walked out of the restaurant and down the street, they said.

Three days before Noem's handbag was stolen, another woman eating with her own family at a nearby eatery had her purse taken in a similar manner, records show.

NBC News discovered the similarities in the two incidents after requesting reports of thefts in the neighborhood from the DC Metropolitan Police Department.

It’s not clear if the two incidents are connected, but the victim in the first purse snatching believes they are.

[Beachnutt]

3. There is a commercial on tv

showing her telling immigrants to leave the U.S. immediately and download some app and President felon will let you come back.

[EarthAbides]

5. No due process

This purse thief will be disappeared to El Salvador whether he is an "illegal" immigrant or not. Have they posted his mug shot yet? Why are "authorities" speaking anonymously? Did this guy really do it? Will we ever really know?

[Maeve]

6. And did they recover the purse? Enquiring minds....

[Deuxcents]

8. 😷 something stinks

[Ping Tung]

9. It's true. "There is no honor among thieves."

Two thieves fighting over the take.

[allegorical oracle]

11. What were the odds that an illegal immigrant would be arrested? Guess everybody they

arrest will now be labeled an illegal immigrant. Makes mass incarcerations/deportations much simpler and DOGE would approve such surefire efficiency. Not so much fussy legal stuff to mess with.