Authorities said they arrested a second suspect in the theft of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem’s purse in the District after tracking down the illegal immigrant in Miami.
The Secret Service did not identify the suspect who they said was nabbed Sunday with the help of Miami Beach police and Florida immigration officials. Miami Beach police said he faces charges of being in possession of stolen or fraudulent identification.
“This second offender is implicated in a pattern of thefts and robberies with the primary defendant who is accused of the robbery of the secretary,” a Secret Service spokesperson said.
The second suspect’s exact role in Ms. Noem’s purse theft in the District remains unclear. His alleged accomplice, 49-year-old Mario Bustamante Leiva, was arrested Saturday in connection to the stolen bag.
Interim U.S. Attorney for the District Ed Martin said previously that both men are illegal immigrants who are part of a major East Coast robbery crew.
“This was not an amateur. This was a person, a thief that knew how to do this. You could see how he scouted the room out,” Mr. Martin told NBC News.
Officials said Mr. Leiva, a Chilean national, will face federal charges for the theft of Ms. Noem’s handbag.
Metropolitan Police said Mr. Leiva will also face local robbery charges in the District after being linked to two other purse snatchings at restaurants in the city.
One incident took place April 12 at a restaurant on the 800 block of F Street Northwest. The other occurred April 17 in the 900 block of Ninth Street NW.
Ms. Noem had her driver’s license, passport and $3,000 in cash inside her purse when it was swiped at Capital Burger downtown on Easter Sunday.
Surveillance footage from the restaurant showed a White man wearing dark clothing, a dark-colored baseball hat and a white N95 mask sitting near Ms. Noem’s table just before 8 p.m. on April 20.
The man inched closer to Ms. Noem before using his foot to pull the purse toward himself, the footage showed. The thief then slipped the purse under his jacket and walked out.
Mr. Martin said there was no indication Ms. Noem was targeted by the thieves over her position with the Trump administration.
