Posted on 04/26/2025 9:28:10 PM PDT by SeekAndFind
The mask-wearing thief who stole Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary Kristi Noem's purse on Easter, which contained her DHS badge, passport, driver's license, mobile phone, and $3,000 in cash, has been arrested. The New York Post first reported the information exclusively:
The masked bandit who stole Homeland Security Kristi Noem’s pricey Gucci bag containing $3,000 in cash and other personal items has been arrested, sources told The Post Saturday.
Noem, 53, was on an Easter outing with her family at The Capital Burger in Washington, DC, when the hooded thief stole the luxury shoulder bag, which also contained her driver’s license, passport, DHS badge and apartment keys on April 20.
Local Washington, D.C., NBC4 News picked up the story, and alluded to a second suspect being sought:
A second person is being still being sought, the same law enforcment sources told News4 and NBC News.
[...]
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.
While some reports alleged that Noem may have been targeted because she is the DHS Secretary, according to NBC News, D.C. Metro police records indicated that another woman was targeted at a nearby eatery three days prior to the theft of Noem's purse, with a similar MO:.
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.
“I’m shocked at the similarity of the crime,” she told NBC News when she described how her purse was stolen Thursday at a restaurant in the downtown Westin Hotel.
My colleague Brandon Morse pondered how the Secret Service could have dropped the ball on this, to allow a suspect to get close enough to steal the purse. Noem herself told podcast host Vince Coglianese soon after the incident that the job was "professionally done":
“It was kind of shocking, actually, because it was sitting right by my feet. I actually felt my purse — he hooked with his foot and drug it a few steps away and dropped a coat over it and took it,” the 53-year-old recounted to podcaster Vince Coglianese Wednesday.
“I thought it was my grandkids kicking me in the legs, but it was very professionally done,” she added on the “Vince” podcast. “It tells me that this happens all the time to people, and that they live in communities where this is a danger and it reaffirms why I’m here.”
NBC News received information from a source at the restaurant that Noem had two, plain-clothes Secret Service members watching Noem and her family from the nearby bar in the restaurant.
The Secret Service is handling the investigation. As of this writing, the name of the suspect in custody has not been released, and no charges have been filed.
When will we ever learn to fight fire with fire. I recently saw a picture of obummer and his secret service detail and they were not a bunch of women from homeland security training academy like President Trump had in Butler Pa This should have been handled immediately like it was for biden. They took all real secret service agents for them and their family and had Trump guarded by untrained idiots. We should do the same for Bidens Clintons and Obamas
Folks shouldn't make any assumptions. My bet is that there is far more to this story if the above is true.
He was an obvious professional.
I think, he made fatal mistake, picking up on Homeland SECURITY chief.
If he robbed anybody else, he would be still roaming the streets, forever.
There was a time that any random city cop would have ID’d the miscreant as soon as he walked in, never mind scooting closer and moving things around with his feet
Doubtful the purse or any contents have been or will be recovered.
Is the second suspect a short medium at large?
If she was a democrat, they’d have had the entire restaurant blocked off.
They protect their own and to hell with everyone else.
“Second Suspect” is probably his FBI or CIA handler.
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
bwaaaaahahaha
What the heck? They were trying to meet girls?
I can see that would distract them from the task at hand.
If they were alert to the situation, wouldn’t they have seen the guy and perhaps be able to catch the guy in the act?
It’s great they had surveillance video, but from what I heard it sounds like no one saw him at the time of the incident. ,
Maybe I just don’t understand the procedures of secret service agents.
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,
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This is why you never park your bag on the floor, hanging off the back of your chair or openly sitting where it’s easy for a snatch and run. Best to keep it on your lap with your arm through at least one strap. Especially a luxury bag full of $thousands.
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