The masked thief who stole Division of Homeland Safety Secretary Kristi Noem’s $4,400 Gucci purse—containing $3,000 money, her passport, DHS badge, condominium keys, and confidential paperwork—has been arrested, in line with a New York Instances report.
The theft unfolded on April 20 at The Capital Burger, a restaurant only a mile from the White Home, whereas Noem, 53, was eating along with her household for Easter. Based on surveillance footage reviewed by legislation enforcement, the suspect, carrying darkish pants, a black jacket with a fur-type collar, a baseball cap, and a surgical masks, entered the restaurant round 7:52 pm, scanned the room, and rapidly moved in on Noem’s belongings.
Describing the heist, Noem informed podcaster Vince Coglianese, “It was sort of stunning, truly, as a result of it was sitting proper by my ft. I truly felt my purse — he hooked along with his foot and drug it a number of steps away and dropped a coat over it and took it.” She initially thought her grandchildren have been kicking her below the desk. “However it was very professionally finished,” she added. “It tells me that this occurs on a regular basis to individuals, and that they reside in communities the place this can be a hazard, and it reaffirms why I’m right here.”
John Miller, CNN’s chief legislation enforcement and intelligence analyst, mentioned throughout a broadcast that the thief seemed to be a “clean operator” and “does this for a residing, there isn’t any doubt about that.” Miller defined that the person sat down at a desk subsequent to Noem’s, slid the bag below his desk along with his foot, then hid it below a jacket earlier than strolling out with it—all inside three minutes of arriving.
Authorities imagine the suspect, whose identify has not but been launched, is linked to a broader East Coast gang specializing in high-end thefts. Sources indicated to the New York Instances that at the very least two people have been concerned within the theft, one in every of whom is reportedly a migrant. The second suspect stays at massive, and the arrested particular person is anticipated to make a courtroom look early subsequent week.
Safety particulars, together with plainclothes Secret Service brokers assigned to Noem, have been reportedly current contained in the restaurant, stationed between her desk and the doorway, NBC 4 Washington reported. Nonetheless, questions stay over how the theft occurred so near her safety workforce.
Miller prompt Noem’s visibly costly bag might have drawn consideration. “Primarily based on my expertise, if I’m knowledgeable pickpocket and bag swiper… after I see a $4,400 Gucci bag… that is what is going on to make it focused,” he mentioned. Regardless of Noem’s cabinet-level place, Miller famous, “If I feel this can be a cabinet-level individual with Secret Service individuals round and watching her, that is going to make me stroll away. I feel what drew him to that desk was the bag.”
Investigators are nonetheless figuring out whether or not the theft was an opportunistic crime or a focused act because of Noem’s high-profile position. The incident is a part of what officers describe as a rising sample of organized thefts focusing on prosperous victims alongside the East Coast.
