WASHINGTON, DC – A member of Congress fell victim to an armed carjacking on Monday evening, prompting an investigation by the U.S. Capitol Police. The incident, which initially saw the Metropolitan Police Department at the helm, took place at the intersection of New Jersey and K Street, Southeast, around 9:32 p.m.
House Democratic Caucus Chair Pete Aguilar, D-Calif., was present at the crime scene alongside the victim, U.S. Rep. Henry Cuellar, D-Texas. The Capitol police were active at the scene, processing evidence and obtaining a statement from Cuellar. The carjacking occurred in the Navy Yard neighborhood of DC, with no injuries reported. Efforts are underway to apprehend the suspect.
This marks another instance of a Democratic Congress member becoming a crime victim in Washington, DC, this year. In a previous incident, Minnesota Rep. Angie Craig was assaulted in her apartment building’s elevator in February but managed to fight off her assailant.
The carjacking of Cuellar comes on the heels of a public safety forum held on Capitol Hill just two weeks ago. The forum was attended by Congress members and Capitol Hill staff, discussing safety measures in nearby neighborhoods.
The district has seen a rise in crime involving congressional staffers this year. Among the victims was a staffer of U.S. Rep. Brad Finstad, who was brutally assaulted after a Congressional baseball game in June, and a staff member of Sen. Rand Paul, who was attacked in March in broad daylight.