Secretary Kristi Noem's handbag, stolen while dining in a restaurant, led to the arrests of two men involved in the crime, one of whom has a past criminal record. The bag contained significant valuables, and investigations uncovered connections to a larger pattern of theft.
Arrests Made in Designer Handbag Theft of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem
Arrests Made in Designer Handbag Theft of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem
Two men have been apprehended following the theft of Secretary Kristi Noem's designer handbag during a family dinner in Washington, D.C.
Two men were arrested in connection with the theft of a designer handbag that belonged to U.S. Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem. The incident occurred on Easter Sunday while Noem was having dinner at a well-known restaurant in Washington D.C. Police apprehended 49-year-old Mario Bustamante Leiva on Saturday, while 51-year-old Cristian Rodrigo Montecino-Sanzanaat was arrested on Sunday in Miami, according to the U.S. Secret Service.
Bustamante Leiva faces multiple charges, including robbery, aggravated identity theft, and wire fraud. A criminal complaint suggests he is linked to two other robbery incidents and that he used stolen funds to make purchases such as gift cards and hotel accommodations. Security footage reportedly caught Bustamante Leiva in the act of stealing Noem's Gucci handbag, which was stored by her feet under her seat.
Once he took the bag, he reportedly boarded a bus and was later spotted at an Italian eatery, where surveillance confirmed he spent $205.87 using one of Noem's stolen credit cards. Montecino-Sanzanaat was arrested in a Miami drugstore, and officials declared he was tied to a broader scheme of robberies occurring in the Washington area.
Noem, who served as the former governor of South Dakota, noted on X that Bustamante Leiva is a "career criminal" living illegally in the U.S. The handbag contained around $3,000 in cash, credit cards, her Homeland Security ID badge, medication, and her driver's license. According to a spokesperson for the Department of Homeland Security, Noem withdrew the cash to treat her family to meals and gifts. Despite Secret Service agents being present at the restaurant during the theft, they did not notice the crime occurring.
