Congressman Henry Cuellar, a prominent Texas Democrat, narrowly escaped a harrowing carjacking incident on Monday night in the nation’s capital, Washington, D.C. His office confirmed the unsettling incident to UPI.
The carjacking unfolded late in the evening as Cuellar was parking his vehicle in the Navy Yard neighborhood, near the intersection of New Jersey Avenue and K Street SE. According to Jacob Hochberg, Cuellar’s chief of staff, three armed men confronted the Congressman and forcibly took control of his vehicle.
Fortunately, Cuellar emerged from the ordeal unharmed, and he is currently cooperating with local law enforcement authorities in the ongoing investigation. The stolen vehicle has since been recovered.
An alert issued by the D.C. Homeland Security and Emergency Management Agency stated that the carjacking occurred at approximately 9:30 p.m., with authorities now actively seeking the three suspects involved.
As this incident unfolded, the D.C. Metropolitan Police have yet to provide additional information in response to UPI’s request for further details.
This unfortunate incident comes amidst a surge in carjackings in the Washington, D.C. area, with D.C. Metropolitan Police statistics revealing a staggering 750 carjackings reported so far this year, 75% of which have involved firearms.
Regrettably, this is not the first instance of violence involving politicians or their staffers in the city this year. Earlier in the year, Rep. Angie Craig was attacked in her Washington, D.C. apartment building elevator in February. In March, a congressional staffer for Sen. Rand Paul was seriously injured in a stabbing incident on H Street, Northeast. Additionally, in June, a member of Rep. Brad Finstad’s staff was assaulted by an armed assailant near the U.S. Capitol.
These incidents have raised concerns about the safety of politicians and their staff in the city, prompting calls for increased security measures and vigilance in the nation’s capital.