MIAMI-DADE COUNTY, Fla. – Miami Beach police, working with the U.S. Secret Service, have made a second arrest in the theft of Homeland Security Secretary Christy Noem’s purse from a Washington, D.C., restaurant last week.
Authorities on Monday said officers arrested 51-year-old Christian Montesino Sanzana around 1 p.m. Tuesday at a Walgreens near Miami Beach police headquarters. They said he is accused of involvement in the Easter Sunday theft, when Noem’s purse was stolen while she dined with her family.
The bag reportedly contained about $3,000 in cash, a Department of Homeland Security access card, a passport, a makeup bag, an apartment key, and other personal items.
Police say Sanzana presented a fake ID at the time of his arrest. He is facing state charges and could also face federal charges related to the stolen purse.
In a statement posted on X Tuesday, Noem described the suspect as a “career criminal” who “has been in our country illegally for years.” She added, “Unfortunately, so many families in this country have been made victims by crime, and that’s why President Trump is working every single day to make America safe.”
The first arrest in the case was made shortly after the incident, though authorities have not yet released additional details about that suspect.
Federal authorities are still determining what charges Montesino Sanzana will face.