03 October 2023 , 04:49
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A congressman from Texas was carjacked Monday night in Washington about a mile from the U.S. Capitol.
U.S. Rep. Henry Cuellar, D-Texas, was carjacked Monday night by three armed attackers, his office said.
Cuellar's chief of staff Jacob Hochberg released a statement saying: "As Congressman Cuellar was parking his car this evening, 3 armed assailants approached the Congressman and stole his vehicle. Luckily, he was not harmed and is working with local law enforcement."
Hochberg said police recovered Cuellar's vehicle.
The Washington Post reported that the robbery happened at 9:30 p.m. at New Jersey Avenue and K Street SE in Washington's Navy Yard area, about a mile from the U.S. Capitol.
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Officials said police recovered Cuellar's vehicle (CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images)Monday's incident was the second assault on a member of Congress in the District of Columbia this year. In February, Democratic Rep.
Angie Craig of Minnesota was assaulted in her Washington apartment building, suffering bruises while escaping serious injury. Her chief of staff said the attack did not appear to be politically motivated.
In June, Kendrid Khalil Hamlin, 26, pleaded guilty in that case to charges of assaulting a member of Congress and assaulting law enforcement officers. Hamlin was also accused of assaulting two officers as they attempted to arrest him on the same day of Craig's attack.
Angie Craig, a Minnesota Democrat, fought back by throwing hot coffee at the assailant, a police report says.
Elected to Congress in 2018, Ms Craig, 50, is a mother of four and serves as co-chairwoman of the Congressional Equality Caucus.
House of Representatives Democratic leader Hakeem Jeffries said the caucus was "horrified" by the attack on Craig.
US Senator Amy Klobuchar tweeted: "To give you a sense of how strong Angie is, she went straight to the Hill this morning and attended a meeting... no one messes with Angie."
Last year Congress officially approved plans to increase security for lawmakers, who receive thousands of threats every year.
The US Capitol Police investigated about 7,500 cases of potential threats against lawmakers in 2022.
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One terrifying incident last year saw a man broke into the San Francisco home of the then Speaker of the House, Nancy Pelosi, and attacked her husband with a hammer, inflicting serious injuries.
She was not at home but the suspect shouted: "Where's Nancy?" and told police he planned to take her hostage.