(NewsNation) — U.S. Rep. Henry Cuellar was carjacked by three armed assailants Monday night, his office said. Police in Washington, D.C are searching for the suspects.
The attack happened while the Texas Democrat was parking outside his residence in the Navy Yard area of Washington, D.C., about a mile from the Capitol.
“Luckily, he was not harmed and is working with local law enforcement,” Cuellar’s chief of staff Jacob Hochberg said in a statement. “Thank you to Metro PD and Capitol Police for their swift action and for recovering the Congressman’s vehicle.”
The Washington Post reported that the robbery happened at 9:30 p.m. at New Jersey Avenue and K Street S.E.
Police said they later recovered the car, but officers want to find the suspects.
It comes as the Nation’s capital has seen carjackings more than double this year compared to the same time last year.
So far his year, D.C. has seen a 28% increase in total crime and more than 5,000 carjackings this year, according to crime data. Both homicides and violent crimes also remain up more than 30% compared to last year.
The carjacking marked the second assault on a member of Congress this year.
In February, Rep. Angie Craig was attacked in the elevator of her apartment building in Washington. She suffered bruising but was otherwise OK.
In that attack, Kendrid Khalil Hamlin, 26, pleaded guilty to charges of assaulting a member of Congress and assaulting law enforcement officers, according to a court docket. Hamlin was also accused of assaulting two officers as they attempted to arrest him on the same day of Craig’s attack.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.