While President Joe Biden was in Los Angeles being feted by celebrities at a fundraising event, one of his Secret Service detail became the victim of a crime.
The president was attending a star-studded fundraiser at the Peacock Theater on Saturday and reportedly returned to his hotel shortly before 9 p.m. The United States Secret Service agent was “returning from a work assignment” around 9:30 p.m. when he was robbed at gunpoint near a community in Orange County, according to a press release from the Tustin Police Department.
The agent reportedly fired his government-issued weapon but the suspect fled, taking the agent’s bag in the process.
Authorities are looking for a 2004-2006 model silver Infiniti FX35 SUV that the suspect or suspects may have used as a getaway car, as seen in surveillance footage from the area. Tustin Police noted that it was unknown if the thief sustained any injuries when the agent fired his weapon.
“On arrival, officers discovered the victim was a member of the U.S. Secret Service and his bag was stolen at gunpoint. During the Incident an officer (agent) Involved shooting occurred. The suspect(s) were not located and it is unknown at this time whether the suspect(s) were injured as a result of the incident,” the Tustin Police Department said in the press release.
“Officers have located some of the victim’s belongings in the area and the incident is still being investigated. There is no known threat to the public,” the statement noted.
🚨 JUST IN: A Secret Service agent was robbed at gunpoint in California during Biden’s visit this weekend
I kid you not.
You can’t make this stuff up. pic.twitter.com/6lrJiNDKqh
— Nick Sortor (@nicksortor) June 17, 2024
“A member of the U.S. Secret Service was the victim of an armed robbery in Tustin, California late Saturday when returning from a work assignment,” Secret Service spokesman Anthony Guglielmi said in a statement.
“The employee discharged their service weapon during the incident but unknown if the assailants were struck. We are thankful that the employee did not sustain any injuries,” he continued.
“This remains an open and active criminal investigation and any additional comments must come from the primary investigative agency which is the Tustin Police Department,” Guglielmi concluded. “Anyone with additional information about the incident is encouraged to call the Tustin Police Department Detective Melendrez at 714-573-3372.”
Residents in the upscale community were shocked by the incident, saying the neighborhood is normally quiet. One woman told Fox 11 that she was glad it was a federal agent and not herself who was robbed as “at least he had the ability to take some defensive action.”
