(RepublicanDaily.org) – “Sure.”
That was Democratic Texas Representative Henry Cuellar’s response when three armed men approached him and demanded he hand over the keys to his car.
The armed men then left in the lawmaker’s car and also took his phone, both of which were recovered by law enforcement a few hours after the incident. The crime happened at Washington D.C.’s Navy Yard neighborhood, which is less than a mile from the Capitol building. Cuellar was unhurt and was even able to return the work the day after the incident.
Recounting his experience, Cuellar said the men, who were all wearing masks and black clothing, “came out of nowhere,” who then quickly surrounded him and pointed firearms at him. They immediately “took off” after getting the keys to his vehicle, a Toyota crossover.
The investigation is being handled by the Capitol Police’s Criminal Investigative Division, along, assisted by the Washington D.C.’s Metropolitan Police Department (MPD).
The U.S. capital has seen a spike in the number of crimes of late, with the MPD reporting a 39% jump in violent crimes in the city, as well as whopping 106% upsurge in vehicle theft, with more than 750 reported carjackings so far this year, significantly more than the 360 incidents reported at around the same time last year. A majority of the apprehended individuals are juveniles. The suspects in the carjacking are still at large.
This is also not the first time criminals have targeted lawmakers. Earlier this year, another Democratic representative, Minnesota’s Angie Craig, was punched in the face by 26-year-old Kendrid Hamlin. Hamlin attempted to enter the congresswoman’s building illegally after seeing her swipe her access card in the building’s elevator. He also assaulted the police officers who apprehended him on the same day as the incident. Hamlin, who has a long rap sheet in the capital, pleaded guilty to all charges as his public defenders sought to excuse his behavior by pointing to their client’s mental health issues.
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