A suspect accused of stealing the wallet of Department of Homeland Security Secretary Christie Noem was recently arrested and released in New York City just weeks before the incident.
The individual, identified as 49-year-old Mario Bustamante Riva from Chile, was reported to have been arrested in Washington, D.C. shortly before.
Reports indicate that he aimed to take Noem’s bags while dining with family at Capital Burger in D.C., all while a warrant for his arrest was active with the New York City Police Department (NYPD).
Bustamante Riva has a prior record, which includes a shoplifting arrest in Utah in 2021 and another incident in London in 2015. Recently, in March, he allegedly stole a fanny pack from a store in Times Square, accumulating over $1,200 in charges in about 20 minutes. Although the police arrested him and issued a ticket for a felony charge, he did not appear at his court date, prompting authorities to search for him.
“New York’s Sanctuary Act prevented the NYPD from reporting him to federal immigration authorities despite his illegal status,” records noted.
Another individual, 51-year-old Christian Rodrigo Montequino Sanzanna, also from Chile, was arrested in Miami, Florida, suspected of being involved in a separate theft case.
The two suspects are believed to be part of a broader theft ring focusing on affluent Americans and legal immigrants, according to sources.
Regarding Noem’s stolen bag, Tom Homan, a former border official under the Trump administration, stated that the suspect “chose the wrong person to target.”
It was reported that the bag contained $3,000 in cash, her passport, a makeup bag, a DHS access card, apartment keys, and medication.
