The masked bandit who stole Homeland Safety Kristi Noem’s expensive Gucci bag containing $3,000 in money and different private gadgets has been arrested, sources informed The Put up Saturday.
Noem, 53, was on an Easter outing together with her household at The Capital Burger in Washington, DC, when the hooded thief stole the luxurious shoulder bag, which additionally contained her driver’s license, passport, DHS badge and condominium keys on April 20.
The suspect was busted by the DC Metro Police and the Secret Service, sources stated.
The suspect’s identification was not instantly accessible, although he’s believed to be one in all two folks concerned and half of a big east coast theft crew.
The perp is predicted to look in court docket early subsequent week, sources stated. The hunt continues to be on for the second suspect.
The bag, accessible for $4,400 per the label’s web site, was on the bottom on the former South Dakota governor’s desk when it was taken, in line with a criticism filed with native police.
The high-end purse additionally contained a Louis Vuitton Clemence Purse inside, which sells for $600, in line with the report.
Safety footage captured a white man in a N95 surgical masks, darkish pants, a “fur-type” collar and a ball cap carry the DHS honcho’s bag earlier than leaving the restaurant positioned a couple of mile from the White Home.
The suspect glanced across the restaurant earlier than grabbing Noem’s bag, protecting it along with his jacket after which hustling out of the restaurant, in line with sources who described the video.
“It was form of stunning, really, as a result of it was sitting proper by my ft. I really felt my purse — he hooked along with his foot and drug it just a few steps away and dropped a coat over it and took it,” Noem, who oversees the Secret Service, US Customs and Border Safety and the Coast Guard, recounted to podcaster Vince Coglianese.
“I believed it was my grandkids kicking me within the legs, but it surely was very professionally carried out,” she added on the “Vince” podcast.
“It tells me that this occurs on a regular basis to folks, and that they reside in communities the place this can be a hazard and it reaffirms why I’m right here.”
The Secret Service gives safety for the secretary, because it does for the president and different high-ranking officers. It was unclear whether or not the element was contained in the restaurant on the time of the theft.
Noem stated she was uncertain if she was focused primarily based on her position as DHS boss, and deferred to investigators concerning the thief’s motives.
It’s unknown which regulation enforcement company apprehended the suspect.
DHS didn’t instantly reply to The Put up’s request for remark.