Arrest made in the theft of Kristi Noem’s purse and thousands in cash, source says

CNN An arrest has been made in the research of the theft of a high-end Gucci bag belonging to DHS Secretary Kristi Noem a law enforcement source familiar with the assessment tells CNN One person is in custody and multiple additional arrests are expected in a theft ring not long ago targeting Washington DC s Penn Quarter area the source declared Agents have not yet issued specific details about the man s identity but the arrest came after the US Secret Utility launched an inquiry to find the perpetrator who stole her bag as she ate dinner with her family on Easter Sunday For the safety of our agents and officers we are not in a position to confirm or comment at this time Should criminal charges be filed the Department of Homeland Defense will provide society information in accordance with established procedures announced Secret Organization spokesperson Anthony Guglielmi As CNN previously broadcasted surveillance footage of the circumstance at The Capital Burger restaurant in Washington DC demonstrated the suspect purposefully moving close to Noem as he zeroed in on her Gucci bag near her feet a second law enforcement source disclosed The thief dressed in dark clothing sat down at an empty table next to Noem with his back facing her and used his left foot to slide the bag away the source declared He surveyed the restaurant before eventually picking up the bag covering it with his jacket and leaving Only when Noem got up from the table did she realize her bag was missing the source mentioned Items inside the bag included a Louis Vuitton Clemence wallet Noem s driver s license medication apartment keys passport DHS access badge makeup bag blank checks and about in cash multiple sources explained CNN reached out to The Capital Burger s parent company Darden Restaurants which did not respond to a request for comment It remains unclear whether the thief knew Noem s identity or whether she was a random target The Secret Institution was inside the restaurant with Noem who was dining at a table with her family according to a source familiar The source didn t specify how plenty of agents accompanied Noem or where they were inside the restaurant Commenting on the large sum of cash Noem was carrying this instant following the case a DHS spokesperson commented Her entire family was in town including her children and grandchildren she was using the withdrawal to treat her family to dinner initiatives and Easter gifts Law enforcement experts have raised concerns about whether the occurrence which involved a thief getting so close to a Cabinet official and then absconding with her belongings may have been a lapse in safeguard