Woman says purse with irreplaceable keepsakes stolen; Border Patrol later detained suspects

CHARLOTTE — A Charlotte woman says her purse was stolen from her unlocked car outside an emergency room, which was a loss she says still hurts because it held treasured items from her late son and mother. Nearly a year later, the suspects named in her case were detained by Border Patrol during its recent operation in Charlotte.

There were 370 people arrested during Operation Charlotte’s Web and Channel 9 spoke with a woman who said she fell victim to two of them.

The woman, who didn’t want to be identified, said she had just rolled her husband into the ER at Atrium Health Mercy in wheelchair. She got back to her car, and her purse was gone.

She said she’s not upset about the money but there were things inside her purse that could never replace.

“Whatever happens to them, I don’t feel at least bit sorry for them, and I hope they get deported,” the woman said.

She told Channel 9’s Gina Esposito it’s been about one year since her purse was stolen from her unlocked car.

She said security helped her identify the suspects as Karelia Izaguirre, of Honduras, and Jose Pena, of Belize, who federal agents say are in the U.S. illegally.

“(My husband) had literally been in the emergency room 10 minutes before he stole my purse,” she said.

The woman filed a police report, and the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department issued charges.

She said it wasn’t about the money. Her mom’s lipstick case and hair from her son who had died were also inside the bag.

“I wanted them to know that what they took from me had no price tag and now they are gone forever,” she said. “And I’m never going to have them, and they were important. And they just have to know there are consequences to what they do.”

Customs and Border Protection agents took Izaguirre and Pena into custody this week and could be processed by ICE for deportation.

Pena has been accused in 20 other crimes dating back to 2015 in Mecklenburg County, according to court records.

He was arrested this month for trying to steal from a pharmacy in south Charlotte.

“Obviously, there is more to it than my purse,” the victim said. “Whatever happens, happened and justice has been served as far as I’m concerned.”

The woman supports CBP returning to Charlotte.

She believes people entering the country, need to do it legally, and if there aren’t, they should be deported.

Pena was arrested in January for stealing the woman’s purse, court records indicate. ICE filed a detainer and issued a warrant for his arrest. Pena bonded out and failed to show up to his next court appearance.

During Border Patrol’s time in Charlotte, the Department of Homeland Security released a list of 20 people they’ve arrested who they said are here illegally and have a criminal record.

Channel 9 searched court records for every single one. We were only able to find victim information for this case.

A lot of the cases dated back to the early 2000s before documents were posted online.

Earlier this week, Esposito spoke to victims in two other cases that DHS highlighted at the beginning of their operation. One was a repeat theft suspect. The other was accused of targeting a 13-year-old girl for sex.

DHS used those men and a few others as examples of suspects who were let out of jail, despite being in the country illegally.

At last check, Border Patrol did not arrest any of the men on that original list.