Who is Mario Bustamante-Leiva: Illegal immigrant arrested for stealing US Homeland Security Secretary’s Gucci purse

An individual wearing a baseball cap and a surgical mask stole Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem’s Gucci purse on  April 20 while she was having dinner with her family at The Capital Burger in Washington, DC.

The bag contained $3000 (Rs 2,55,663) in cash, her credit cards, her driver’s license, passport, DHS badge and apartment keys according to a report by New York Post. Along with these, the luxury handbag was also of considerable worth, being estimated to be around $4000 (Rs 3,40,868).

The culprit is allegedly an illegal immigrant, Mario Bustamante-Leiva, who is a Chilean national aged 49. It is noteworthy that this isn’t the first time he has committed such a crime. His rap sheet also includes an arrest in Utah in 2021, where he was found guilty of shoplifting. He was also the target of a significant police bust in London, UK, in 2015, where he was arrested for a theft spree and charged with stealing $28,000 (Rs 23,86,032) in phones, wallets, and computers.

He was also guilty of a crime on March 2 when he stole a fanny pack from an Indian student at a Times Square dosa shop. The accused proceeded to rack up a $1200 (Rs 1,02,269) bill on the victim’s credit card. The police shortly arrested him thanks to descriptions from good samaritans who described him as a “little old man with a covid mask.” 

Shockingly, the NYPD officers issued a desk appearance ticket on fourth-degree felony grand larceny charges and released him. He did not appear for his desk appearance, which prompted the police to start a search for him. The victim, a student residing in Jersey City said that he was not happy with the release, saying “That’s insane. I don’t know how he was let out after that without any reason,”

Mark A Bederow, a former Manhattan Prosecutor said in a statement about the crime, “Years ago, people would be held on ICE detainers if somebody was known to be in the country unlawfully and committed crimes.” He continued to voice his frustration by adding “That would be a no-brainer (detaining the criminal)… these kinds of crimes would not be committed if the policies were stronger. That’s just the reality.”