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Suspect arrested in theft of Homeland Secretary Noem's handbag

Mark Schoifet, Bloomberg News on

Published in News & Features

An alleged “serial offender” has been arrested in connection with the theft on Easter Sunday of U.S. Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem’s handbag, the Secret Service said.

The suspect was taken into custody in the District of Columbia without incident, according to a statement Sunday from Matt McCool, special agent in charge of the agency’s Washington field office. The suspect wasn’t identified.

The investigation found that the theft was unrelated to Noem’s role as Homeland Security secretary, McCool said. Because the incident also involved potential device and credit card fraud, the Secret Service will maintain jurisdiction over the case and will present its findings to a federal court in coordination with the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia, he said.

On April 20, Noem was eating with her family at The Capital Burger restaurant when she felt what she thought was her grandchild brush against her leg, said a person familiar with the incident. Moments later, she realized her purse was missing, according to the person, who wasn’t authorized to speak publicly.

 

Inside the Gucci shoulder bag were Noem’s Department of Homeland Security badge, credit and bank cards, passport, blank checks, prescription medication, driver’s license and a Louis Vuitton Clemence wallet, the person said. Her government-issued phone was recovered and has been accounted for.

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(With assistance from Yi Wei Wong and Myles Miller.)


©2025 Bloomberg L.P. Visit bloomberg.com. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.

 

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