A suspect was arrested in the theft last weekend of Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary Kristi Noem’s purse at a restaurant in downtown Washington, D.C, law enforcement officials said Sunday.
The purse included some major belongings, including $3,000 in cash, Noem’s DHS access badge, her passport, her driver’s license, blank checks and her keys. The theft occurred as Noem was celebrating Easter with her family.
“Thank you to Secret Service and ICE and our law enforcement partners for finding and arresting the criminal who stole my bag on Easter Sunday as I shared a meal with my family at a Washington DC restaurant,” Noem said Sunday in a statement, provided to The Hill through a spokesperson.
Law enforcement officials did not identify the suspect by name but accused the individual of being a repeat offender who had immigrated to the United States illegally some years ago.
“This individual is a career criminal who has been in our country illegally for years,” Noem continued in the statement.
“Unfortunately, so many families in this country have been made victims by crime, and that’s why President Trump is working every single day to make America safe and get these criminal aliens off of our streets,” she said.
U.S. Secret Service Washington Field Office Special Agent in Charge Matt McCool said in a statement that the individual “was taken into custody without incident” in D.C., following “an intensive investigation” conducted in coordination with local and federal law enforcement agencies.
McCool called the defendant “a serial offender” and said there was no indication Noem was targeted because of her status as DHS secretary.
“We have also determined that this incident had no protective nexus to Secretary Noem or her role as Secretary of Homeland Security. The investigation revealed alleged criminal activity, including potential device and credit card fraud,” McCool added.
The Hill has reached out to the Metropolitan Police Department for comment.