Washington: A congressman from Texas was carjacked Monday night in Washington about a mile from the US Capitol, according to police and the congressman's office.
Rep. Henry Cuellar (D) was carjacked in the Navy Yard area of Southeast Washington by robbers who took his vehicle and his luggage, according to Cuellar's aides.
DC police said that a carjacking occurred about 9:30pm at New Jersey Avenue and K Street SE, adding at least one of the carjackers had a gun. They did not identify the victim. The area, which is south of the Capitol, is heavily redeveloped and includes the Marriott on the corner of New Jersey Avenue and K Street, and an apartment house diagonally across the intersection.
Dozens of lawmakers, Republicans and Democrats alike, live in the apartment and condominium buildings within a block of Monday night's attack. An aide to Cuellar said that as the Congressman was parking, "three armed assailants approached and stole" the vehicle. The congressman was unharmed, the aide said.
It was not clear whether the car's Texas license plate identified the owner as a member of Congress.
Capitol Police confirmed that a member of Congress had been carjacked in the Navy Yard neighborhood, but also didn't give a name. An aide to Cuellar indicated that his car was recovered, but it was not immediately clear whether any arrests were made. Capitol Police said they were working with DC police to try to track down the robbers.
Cuellar, 68, is in his 10th term in the House, representing a South Texas district that includes Laredo and San Antonio. Earlier this year, he joined Republicans in blocking DC's criminal code revision legislation. The House vote occurred the same day that Rep. Angie Craig (D-Minn.) was assaulted in the elevator of her DC apartment building. She fought off her attacker by tossing hot coffee at him in an incident that her office said did not appear to be politically motivated.
