Second illegal immigrant arrested in Miami for theft of Kristi Noem's handbag

A second illegal immigrant has been arrested in connection with the theft of Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem's handbag that was stolen from her as she was having Easter dinner.

The bag had inside it $3,000 in cash as well as identification information belonging to Noem. She was dining with her family on Easter Sunday at The Capital Burger, which is about a mile away from the White House.

After the incident, the primary suspect to the crime, Mario Bustamante-Leiva, 49, was taken into custody. He has a long history of theft and is a foreign national from Chile and was charged over the weekend. However, an alleged accomplice has also been taken into custody for the theft, authorities told the Daily Mail. The second arrest went down in Miami, Florida and authorities believe that the robbery may be connected to a robbery ring along the east coast, where criminals are taking advantage of wealthy Americans.

The two illegal immigrants are believed to be part of the network of criminals who steal property from Americans who are at high-end hotels, restaurants, and eateries all along the East Coast.

Bustamante-Leiva has previously admitted to 22 other charges of theft between July and December 2014. He made headlines in 2015 for the months-long robbery spree in London, England and was put in jail for three years. At the time, he had stolen nearly $28,000 worth of electronics, wallets, and other goods.


Suspect Mario Bustamante-Leiva

Noem said that Bustamante-Leiva's theft was “professionally done.”

"He hooked it with his foot and dragged it a few steps away and dropped a coat over it and took it… I think I was a busy grandma with four grandkids under the age of four, and I was taking care of them and feeding them food and enjoying my family, yeah, but certainly had my purse even touching my feet,” she added, describing the incident.