Suspect in Noem purse snatching accused of similar crime in NY weeks before
The illegal migrant accused of snatching Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem's purse was arrested in New York City weeks earlier and released from custody, according to a New York Post report.
Chilean national Mario Bustamante Leiva, 49, was arrested in Times Square after he swiped a fanny pack from an international student from India inside a Times Square dosa shop -- and then the perp racked up $1,200 in credit card charges in just 20 minutes, the victim told the outlet
The NYPD gave Bustamante-Leiva a desk appearance ticket on fourth-degree felony grand larceny charges and released him.
The city's sanctuary city laws meant that the NYPD was prohibited from telling federal immigration officials that they had busted an illegal migrant.
Meanwhile, Bustamante-Leiva didn't show up for his court date and officers went looking for him, law enforcement sources told the outlet.
That allowed Bustamante-Leiva to target Noem on Easter Sunday when she was dining with her family at The Capital Burger in Washington, D.C., although he denied knowing that the bag belonged to the Homeland Security chief, a hardline immigration enforcer.
Bustamante-Leiva is accused of nabbing Noem's luxury Gucci bag containing around $3,000 cash as well as her driver's license, passport, medication, makeup bag, blank checks, DHS badge, apartment keys and a Louis Vuitton Clemence wallet. The bag was on the floor at her table when it was stolen, according to a complaint filed with local police.
He was arrested on Saturday by members of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) and the Secret Service and initially charged with two counts of robbery, officials said.
On Monday, the U.S. Secret Service filed federal criminal charges against Bustamante-Leiva, accusing him of committing three robberies between April 12, 2024, and April 20, 2025, and after each robbery, making fraudulent purchases using the credit cards obtained from each victim.
Charging documents from the U.S. Attorney's office in D.C. allegedly showed Bustamante-Leiva caught on camera blowing $205.87 on food and alcohol at an Italian restaurant just minutes after he made off with Noem's shoulder bag.
Security footage captured a white man in a N95 surgical mask, dark pants and a baseball cap grabbing the bag before leaving the restaurant.
Bustamante-Leiva is a reported career criminal whose rap sheet also includes a 2021 shoplifting arrest in Utah and a huge bust in London in 2015, where he was arrested for a months-long theft spree and charged with swiping $28,000 in phones, wallets, and computers, according to the Post.
A second man, believed to be Bustamante-Leiva's accomplice, was also arrested in the Noem theft case. The identity of the alleged accomplice has not been released, but officials said the suspect is currently being held on an immigration detainer as charges are finalized.
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