Fox News Digital has confirmed that U.S. Rep. Henry Cuellar, D-Texas, was the victim of an armed carjacking on Monday night in Washington, D.C.
According to U.S. Capitol Police, the long-serving Democratic congressman was in the Navy Yard neighbourhood when the incident occurred at around 9:30 p.m. The organisation and the Metropolitan Police Department both attended to the incident at K Street Southeast and New Jersey Avenue. The whole block is blocked off as police look into it.
Three suspects are wanted by police in connection with the carjacking; they are described as Black men wearing all-black attire, according to an alert from MPD. A white Honda CHR that was Cuellar’s stolen car has subsequently been found.
“As Congressman Cuellar was parking his car this evening, 3 armed assailants approached the Congressman and stole his vehicle,” Cuellar’s chief of staff Jacob Hochberg said in a statement. “Luckily, he was not harmed and is working with local law enforcement. Thank you to Metro PD and Capitol Police for their swift action and for recovering the Congressman’s vehicle.”
Pete Aguilar, D-Calif., chair of the House Democratic Caucus, was seen with Cuellar at the murder scene as Capitol police processed the incident and recorded Cuellar’s statement.
“DC’s Metropolitan Police Department is investigating an armed carjacking that happened around 9:30 p.m. in DC’s Navy Yard neighbourhood,” Capitol police said in a statement. “The victim has been identified as a Member of Congress, so the USCP has investigators working with MPD on this case. Injuries were not reported. Detectives are working to track down the suspects.”
Cuellar became the second Democratic member of Congress to experience crime in the nation’s capital this year as a result of the event on Monday. Angie Craig, a Minnesota representative, fought off an assailant in a lift attack that occurred in her apartment building in February.
The carjacking also occurred only two weeks after law enforcement officials on Capitol Hill hosted an open discussion for members of Congress and staff to discuss neighbourhood public safety.
This year, a number of congressional workers in the area have been victims of crimes, including a member of U.S. Rep. Brad Finstad’s staff who was viciously beaten as they were leaving the Congressional baseball game in June and a staffer of Sen. Rand Paul who was attacked in broad daylight in March.
