Suspect in Noem purse snatching accused of similar crime in NY weeks before
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 NYPD told Fox News.
Dhs Chief Kristi Noem Reveals How Her Purse Was Stolen At Restaurant: 'Professionally Done'
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 became a fugitive on March 19 with officers actively looking for him, the NYPD said.
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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.
Kimmel Mocks Dhs Sec Kristi Noem For Getting Robbed, Says Her Being Crime Victim Is 'Embarrassing'
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.
According to court records, Bustamante-Leiva indicated his desire to voluntarily return to New York. He is being detained at a Washington, D.C., jail until he can be released into the custody of New York officials. He will have to be returned to D.C. for any court proceedings.
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.
Fox News Digital's Greg Wehner, Stepheny Price, Landon Mion and Stephen Sorace contributed to this report. Original article source: Suspect in Noem purse snatching accused of similar crime in NY weeks before
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The White House is allegedly considering Budapest, Hungary's capital, as a venue for possible trilateral meeting with Mr Trump and the Russian and Ukrainian leaders following their one-on-one talks. 07:37 AM BST Telegraph View: Ukraine's fate is still deeply uncertain In tone, this meeting between Donald Trump and Volodymyr Zelensky was a considerable improvement on February's. In substantive content, a great deal remains unclear. The two fundamental questions of this conflict remain unresolved: where will the borders between Russia and Ukraine lie when Moscow's terrible war of aggression ends, and how can Kyiv's and Europe's security be guaranteed in the future? Everything else is of secondary importance. Russia continues to assert belligerent claims to territory including some still held by Ukraine, with Vladimir Putin insistent that the whole of Donetsk and Luhansk be ceded despite the failure of his forces to make progress. Mr Zelensky has correctly stated that the constitution of Ukraine forbids any such formal concessions of land without a referendum. Mr Trump has hinted that he may prefer to follow 'the current line of contact'. The tragic reality is that some territorial concessions on Kyiv's part are now effectively deemed a given, including in Europe. The only question is how much, where, and the legal status of the lost land. There is a possible future in which a negotiated border becomes a diplomatic fact, but not one which is formally acknowledged. 07:31 AM BST Pictured: Russia launches 'massive' overnight strikes on Odesa Russia launched a 'massive drone strike' on the southern Ukrainian region of Odesa, injuring one person and causing a large fire at a fuel and energy facility, Ukraine's State Emergency Service said this morning. Port infrastructure in the city of Odesa was also damaged. 07:16 AM BST Hello and welcome to our live coverage We're bringing you all the latest from the war in Ukraine and the ongoing diplomatic efforts to achieve a peace deal. Broaden your horizons with award-winning British journalism. Try The Telegraph free for 1 month with unlimited access to our award-winning website, exclusive app, money-saving offers and more. Solve the daily Crossword
