The suspected purse snatcher, believed to be the person who stole Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem’s purse, was arrested in Washington, D.C on Saturday afternoon. A second individual is being searched for, according to law enforcement sources. The suspect in custody is in the country illegally, as confirmed by Interim US Attorney for the District of Columbia Ed Martin. Martin mentioned that the other suspect being sought is also in the country illegally. U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement is now involved in the case, as per Martin. He stated that there is no belief that Noem was targeted because she is the DHS secretary, “There is no indication it was because of that. It was frankly, it was a nice looking purse.” Martin revealed that President Trump’s direction is to charge and prosecute individuals who are in the country illegally and deport them as needed. He added, “What I can tell you is he won’t be back on the streets in America.” Martin also mentioned that the alleged thief was not an amateur, but someone who was experienced in such activities. Noem’s bag, which contained $3,000 in cash, was stolen on Easter Sunday at Capital Burger by a white male wearing dark clothing, a dark-colored baseball hat, and a white N95 mask. The suspect 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 before leaving the scene. Prior to this incident, another woman had her purse taken in a similar manner at a nearby eatery three days before Noem’s handbag was stolen. The Secret Service is currently investigating the Noem case to determine if she was targeted due to her role in President Trump’s Cabinet. The story was first reported on NBCNews.com.
