Investigators arrested a person accused of being involved in theft of Homeland Security Secretary Christie Noem's handbags at a fine Washington Hamburger restaurant last weekend, the Secret Service said on Sunday.
Matt McCool, a special agent with the Secret Service, said in a statement that the suspect did not appear to have targeted Noem because of her position. He did not disclose the suspect's name, but he described the person as a “serial criminal” who tried to access her electronic devices using Noem's credit card.
Noem's wallet was snatched from under her chair on Easter Sunday after eating with her family at Capital Burger in downtown Washington. The bag included the secretary's driver's license, medication, apartment key, blank check, department badge, passport and $3,000 in cash.
Noem's spokeswoman previously said that the burglar caught the secretary's bag with his leg, dragged it to the floor, and placed his coat before leaving the restaurant. Several Secret Service agents had accompanied Ms. Norm, but they were more than 20 feet away from her to give her privacy to enjoy the meal with her family.
In a social media post about the arrest, Noem described the suspect as a “career criminal” and a foreigner who illegally entered the United States. The Secret Service did not confirm Noem's claim, but directed the question to the federal prosecutor assigned to the lawsuit. Ed Martin, an interim US lawyer in Washington, said the suspects have illegally entered the United States and law enforcement officials are seeking more people related to theft.
In a statement, McCool, a Secret Service agent, said five law enforcement agencies, including Washington's metropolitan police department and immigration and customs enforcement agencies, were involved in the investigation.
The theft was the latest episode in which Donald J. Trump raised questions about the Secret Service as he was the target of two assassination attempts last year as presidential candidate.
