Arrest made in the theft of Kristi Noem’s purse and thousands in cash, source says

An apprehension has been made successful the probe of the theft of a high-end Gucci container belonging to DHS Secretary Kristi Noem, a instrumentality enforcement root acquainted with the probe tells CNN.

One idiosyncratic is successful custody and aggregate further arrests are expected successful a theft ringing precocious targeting Washington, DC’s, Penn Quarter area, the root said.

Authorities person not yet released circumstantial details astir the man’s identity, but the apprehension came aft the US Secret Service launched an probe to find the perpetrator who stole her container arsenic she ate meal with her household connected Easter Sunday.

“For the information of our agents and officers, we are not successful a presumption to corroborate oregon remark astatine this time. Should transgression charges beryllium filed, the Department of Homeland Security volition supply nationalist accusation successful accordance with established procedures,” said Secret Service spokesperson Anthony Guglielmi.

As CNN antecedently reported, surveillance footage of the incidental astatine The Capital Burger edifice successful Washington, DC, showed the fishy purposefully moving adjacent to Noem arsenic helium zeroed successful connected her Gucci container adjacent her feet, a 2nd instrumentality enforcement root said.

The thief, dressed successful acheronian clothing, sat down astatine an bare array adjacent to Noem with his backmost facing her and utilized his near ft to descent the container away, the root said. He surveyed the edifice earlier yet picking up the bag, covering it with his overgarment and leaving.

Only erstwhile Noem got up from the array did she recognize her container was missing, the root said.

Items wrong the container included a Louis Vuitton Clemence wallet, Noem’s driver’s license, medication, flat keys, passport, DHS entree badge, constitution bag, blank checks, and astir $3,000 successful cash, aggregate sources said.

CNN reached retired to The Capital Burger’s genitor company, Darden Restaurants, which did not respond to a petition for comment.

It remains unclear whether the thief knew Noem’s individuality oregon whether she was a random target.

The Secret Service was wrong the edifice with Noem, who was eating astatine a array with her family, according to a root familiar. The root didn’t specify however galore agents accompanied Noem oregon wherever they were wrong the restaurant.

Commenting connected the ample sum of currency Noem was carrying instantly pursuing the incident, a DHS spokesperson said: “Her full household was successful municipality including her children and grandchildren – she was utilizing the withdrawal to dainty her household to dinner, activities, and Easter gifts.”

Law enforcement experts person raised concerns astir whether the incident, which progressive a thief getting truthful adjacent to a Cabinet authoritative and past absconding with her belongings, whitethorn person been a lapse successful security.

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