In a surprise to no one, the illegal migrant arrested for allegedly stealing Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem’s belongings has a long rap sheet of similar crimes.
Chilean national Mario Bustamante-Leiva, 49, was arrested over the weekend in connection with the theft of Noem’s Gucci purse and the $3,000 cash, identification, and other items within. He was charged with “wire fraud, aggravated identity theft, and robbery in connection with three purse snatchings in the District and the unauthorized use of victim credit cards, according to the Justice Department.
The illegal migrant was already being sought for skipping a court date for committing a similar crime a few weeks before the incident with Noem, which was the fourth crime he is suspected of committing in eight days, according to the New York Post.
Illegal migrant accused of snatching Kristi Noem’s Gucci purse was free after a similar crime in NYC last month pic.twitter.com/aMvu2Ep1Br
— 🇺🇲PrConservative🇵🇷 (@pr_conservative) April 29, 2025
“Bustamante-Leiva’s rap sheet also includes a 2021 shoplifting arrest in Utah and a headline-grabbing bust in 2015 across the pond in London, where he was arrested for a months-long theft spree and charged with palming $28,000 in phones, wallets and computers,” the New York Post reported.
“He landed on the NYPD’s radar on March 2 after he swiped a fanny pack from a Times Square dosa shop and racked up $1,200 in credit card charges in just 20 minutes, according to the victim, an international student from India,” the outlet continued, noting that he was caught within the hour of the committing the crime.
“That’s insane. I don’t know how he was let out after that without any reason,” the student told the Post after learning that Bustamante-Leiva was freed with a desk appearance ticket after being arrested. “I mean, putting in so much effort and then coming to the States and experiencing something like that intrigued my frightened side.”
“Years ago, people would be held on ICE detainers if somebody was known to be in the country unlawfully and committed crimes,” former Manhattan prosecutor Mark A. Bederow told the Post. “That would be a no-brainer hold … these kinds of crimes would not be committed if the policies were stronger. That’s just the reality.”
The illegal alien Mario Leiva who stole DHS Secy Kristi Noem’s purse with $3K cash in it on Easter Sunday at Capital Burger in DC did it by sitting at a table behind her, used his leg to hook her purse and covered it up with his coat. He then used her credit card to buy more than… pic.twitter.com/kEEkjUHkkO
— Elizabeth MacDonald (@LizMacDonaldFOX) April 28, 2025
Cops were looking for Bustamante-Leiva when he didn’t show up for the court date after being given a desk appearance ticket on fourth-degree felony grand larceny charges and released. He was not reported to federal immigration authorities due to New York City’s sanctuary policies.
