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New Details Emerge About the Illegal Immigrant Who Stole Kristi Noem's Purse
Townhall ^ | May 04, 2025 | Sarah Arnold |

Posted on 05/05/2025 9:49:42 AM PDT by george76

In yet another glaring example of failed immigration enforcement and soft-on-crime policies, the illegal immigrant accused of stealing Department of Homeland Security Secretary (DHS) Kristi Noem’s purse was reportedly released after committing a similar theft in New York City just weeks earlier. Instead of facing swift deportation or serious consequences, the suspect was reportedly freed, highlighting the disastrous impact of sanctuary city policies.

According to a newly released report, the suspect and illegal alien from Chile, Mario Bustamante-Leiva, was previously arrested in New York City. As he stole Noem’s purse from a restaurant in Washington, D.C., the New York Police Department’s (NYPD) warrant squad looked for him after he never showed up in court.

In March, Bustamante-Leiva allegedly stole a fanny pack from a Times Square store and racked up around $1,200 in credit card charges within just 20 minutes. Authorities later arrested him but only issued a desk appearance ticket for fourth-degree grand larceny, a felony, before releasing him. The report states that because of New York’s sanctuary policies, the NYPD was prohibited from notifying federal immigration authorities, even though the suspect was in the country illegally.

“Years ago, people would be held on ICE detainers if somebody was known to be in the country unlawfully and committed crimes,” former Manhattan prosecutor Mark Bederow told the New York Post. “That would be a no-brainer hold … these kinds of crimes would not be committed if the policies were stronger. That’s just the reality.”

...

The illegal immigrant had also been arrested for shoplifting in Utah in 2021 and made headlines in 2015 when he was caught in London for a months-long theft spree, charged with stealing $28,000 worth of phones, wallets, and computers.

On Easter Sunday, Bustamante-Leiva stole Noem’s Gucci purse while she was dining at a restaurant in D.C. The purse contained $3,000 in cash, her passport, makeup bag, DHS access card, apartment key, and medication.


TOPICS: Crime/Corruption; Foreign Affairs; Government; News/Current Events; Politics/Elections; US: District of Columbia; US: New York; US: Utah; United Kingdom
KEYWORDS: alien; aliens; criminalaliens; criminals; dhs; illegal; illegalalien; illegalaliens; illegals; kristi; kristinoem; kristinoemspurse; newcomers; newyork; newyorkcity; noem; nypd; purse; sanctuary; sanctuarycities; sanctuarycity; sanctuarypolicies; theft
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1 posted on 05/05/2025 9:49:42 AM PDT by george76
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To: george76

And... what’s his status at this time?


2 posted on 05/05/2025 9:54:49 AM PDT by Clutch Martin ("The dawn cracks hard like a bull whip and it ain't taking no lip from the night before" Tom Waits)
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To: george76

The guy committed crimes in London, NY, DC, Utah.

He was a professional criminal, and thus almost certainly, was part of a much larger criminal organization.

And NY City let him go....


3 posted on 05/05/2025 9:56:37 AM PDT by PGR88
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To: george76

Noem should sue NY for damages.

In the Old Testament, if somebody owned a bull that gored a person and let that bull free to gore again, the owner was responsible when that bull did gore again. A life for a life, an eye for an eye.

When these “sanctuary cities” let criminals go free they are accepting responsibility for whatever those criminals do while they are free. They should be sued into bankruptcy until they learn that they have a responsibility too costly to shirk.


4 posted on 05/05/2025 9:57:08 AM PDT by butterdezillion
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To: george76
You just can't make this stuff up.

Noem just hit the PR bonanza of the century

5 posted on 05/05/2025 9:57:53 AM PDT by rdcbn1 (TV )
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To: Clutch Martin

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

“Authorities said they had charged Mario Bustamante Leiva, 49, with two counts of robbery in unrelated incidents that took place in recent weeks.”


6 posted on 05/05/2025 9:59:15 AM PDT by cgbg (It was not us. It was them--all along.)
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To: george76

So....NY does it again. Looks like Trump still has some work cut out for him. NY state still is yet to understand what federal law means, it would seem.


7 posted on 05/05/2025 10:02:44 AM PDT by oldtech
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To: Clutch Martin

If the Federal Gubermint and the city had given him funds to live on, and and a nice place to live, these petty purse thefts would likely never had occurred. We need to take care of the future of the DimWIT PARTY , IMMIGRANTS!

Joe Biden invited these people in, we need to step up to make his visions come true. Without lots of immigrants, we won’t have a strong two party system and that would be a threat to our Democracy

/sarc


8 posted on 05/05/2025 10:03:14 AM PDT by politicianslie (SAFE and EFFECTIVE has become SUDDEN and UNEXPECTED. Use Dr. McCullough protocol to beat death! )
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To: oldtech

They have trouble knowing what NY law means !


9 posted on 05/05/2025 10:03:51 AM PDT by Pikachu_Dad
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To: butterdezillion
They should be sued into bankruptcy until they learn that they have a responsibility too costly to shirk.

This case would be venued in Manhattan or Washington DC. I can't imagine any jury from those venues giving Noem anything. Also, failure to enforce the law is an almost perfect defense here. Not a good case because any lawyer that took it would go out of business.

10 posted on 05/05/2025 10:04:27 AM PDT by frithguild (The warmth and goodness of Gaia is a nuclear reactor in the Earth's core that burns Thorium)
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To: Clutch Martin

Every time I read about this clown, I think of the wedding reception in Goodfellows wherein the bride worries about where the bag with the wedding cash gifts is. She is told by her hubby gangster, don’t worry about it, no one would touch that here.

It all rests upon swift, just, enforcement. Some judicial, some extra judicial and the threat of either.


11 posted on 05/05/2025 10:09:31 AM PDT by Mouton (There is a new sheriff and deputy in town to now!)
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To: Mouton


“Thirty, forty grand. In small bills cash, in that little silk purse. Madon’, if this was somebody else’s wedding, sfortunato!”
12 posted on 05/05/2025 10:12:49 AM PDT by dfwgator (Endut! Hoch Hech!)
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To: george76

This is why I’m a huge fan of three-strikes laws. I believe in giving them life, not to rehabilitate or punish. Rather, it is to simply protect a civilized society from them.


13 posted on 05/05/2025 10:25:32 AM PDT by cuban leaf (2024 is going to be one for the history books, like 1939. And 2025 will be more so, like 1940-1945.)
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To: Clutch Martin
And... what’s his status at this time?

Good question, hopefully he was deported the day they found him.

14 posted on 05/05/2025 10:27:14 AM PDT by 1Old Pro
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To: george76

I still don’t understand where her Secret Service detail was. If this scumbag had other nefarious intentions, Noem could have been killed.


15 posted on 05/05/2025 10:28:30 AM PDT by A Navy Vet (USA Birth Certificate - 1787. Death Certificate - 2021? )
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To: dfwgator

Yup—great scene.

Even the most crooked of crooks weighs return vs risk.

Lol.


16 posted on 05/05/2025 10:29:13 AM PDT by cgbg (It was not us. It was them--all along.)
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To: A Navy Vet

“If this scumbag had other nefarious intentions, Noem could have been killed.”

Agreed.

The silence on this topic has been deafening.

To be blunt—I think private security would have done a better job.


17 posted on 05/05/2025 10:30:59 AM PDT by cgbg (It was not us. It was them--all along.)
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To: A Navy Vet

At the bar / drinking ?


18 posted on 05/05/2025 10:31:46 AM PDT by george76 (Ward Churchill : Fake Indian, Fake Scholarship, and Fake Art)
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To: PGR88

This is how the mafia has always worked. Wink and a nod with the judge once you’re caught, or the cops are dirty, too. It’s just not an Italian crime syndicate anymore.


19 posted on 05/05/2025 10:39:33 AM PDT by FamiliarFace (I got my own way of livin' But everything gets done With a southern accent Where I come from. TPetty)
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To: george76
How many organized crime ILLEGALS does the Deep State use to DO THEIR DIRTY WORK?

MAKE NO MISTAKE, THIS WAS A PLANNED HIT on Noem's purse. The Deep State wanted to know what's inside her purse including any lists or plans or POSSIBLE BLACKMAIL MATERIAL.

WATERBOARD THIS GUY to find out WHO PUT HIM UP TO THIS. HER PURSE WAS TARGETED IN ADVANCE with the help of A DEEP STATE RAT STILL INSIDE THE DHS with info on her whereabouts, using this THUG as their operative.

MARK IT.

20 posted on 05/05/2025 10:43:19 AM PDT by CivilWarBrewing (Get off my back for my usage of CAPS, especially you snowflake males! MAN UP!)
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