Adrian
A suspect accused of stealing Homeland Security Secretary KRISTI NOEM‘s Gucci handbag, containing $3,000 in cash and personal belongings, was arrested on Saturday in Washington, D.C., according to reports. The Metropolitan Police Department and the U.S. Secret Service apprehended the individual, as reported by the New York Post. Authorities are still searching for a second suspect linked to the incident.
Both suspects are reportedly in the U.S. without authorization, prompting U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) to become involved in the case. Interim U.S. Attorney for the District of Columbia ED MARTIN told NBC 4 that there is no indication NOEM was targeted due to her role at the Department of Homeland Security (DHS). The suspect in custody is scheduled to appear in court early this week.
The theft occurred on Easter Sunday while NOEM was dining with her family at The Capital Burger in Washington, D.C. The stolen bag, placed on the floor at her table, contained her driver’s license, passport, medication, makeup bag, blank checks, DHS badge, apartment keys, and a Louis Vuitton Clemence wallet. Security footage captured a white male suspect wearing an N95 surgical mask, dark pants, and a baseball cap grabbing the bag and fleeing the restaurant.
“It was kind of shocking, actually, because it was sitting right by my feet. I actually felt my purse; he hooked it with his foot and dragged it a few steps away, dropped a coat over it, and took it,” NOEM recounted on the VINCE Show podcast with VINCE COGLIANESE. She added, “It was very professionally done, and it tells that this happens all the time to people. It reaffirms why I am here—to make our communities safer.”
The U.S. Secret Service has declined to confirm the arrest, citing operational safety. “For the safety of our agents and officers, we are not in a position to confirm or comment at this time,” said Secret Service spokesman ANTHONY GUGLIELMI in a statement on X. He added that if criminal charges are filed, DHS will provide public information in accordance with established procedures.
This incident follows a similar theft just days earlier, where another woman dining with her family at a nearby restaurant had her purse stolen in a comparable manner.
**Sources:**
[New York Post](https://nypost.com)
[NBC 4](https://nbc4.com)
[VINCE Show Podcast](https://vincepodcast.com)
