U.S. Representative Henry Cuellar, a Democrat from Laredo, reportedly had his automobile robbed at gunpoint on Monday evening close to his residence in Washington.
Cuellar’s chief of staff, Jacob Hochberg, stated in a statement that three armed bandits snatched the congressman’s white Toyota crossover as he was parking. Cuellar escaped the encounter unscathed, and police finally found the automobile.
Hochberg added, “I want to thank Metro PD and Capitol Police for their quick action and for returning the Congressman’s vehicle.
The Metropolitan Police Department of the city is assisting the U.S. Capitol Police in their investigation. According to the USCP spokesperson, investigators are still trying to find the suspects.
Cuellar’s electronics and other belongings that were left in the car, including his phone, were also found by the police. Additionally, he had left a sushi supper that he had purchased from a nearby Whole Foods in his car.
The fact that they stole my sushi was what truly infuriated me, but that is another issue, Cuellar said CNN. Later, he revealed to the Dallas Morning News that his sushi had been found by the authorities.
The incident happened near Washington’s Navy Yard, a favorite location for congressional pied-a-terres that is only a few blocks south of the Capitol.
Since the outbreak, crime in Washington has increased, with the number of carjackings in the region having sharply increased recently. According to a Washington Post research, in 2022 there will have been more than 1,000 carjackings in the District and its inner-ring suburbs, up from around 200 in 2018.
Conservative lawmakers in Congress used rising crime as a rallying cry when they obstructed a city-led revision of Washington’s criminal code earlier this year, challenging the city’s right to self-government. With respect to most crimes, including carjacking, the proposal would have reduced or removed the majority of minimum punishments.
The amended criminal code was opposed by Republicans and many Democrats in Congress, who used their seldom-used veto power over District matters to thwart the measure because they believed it was too lenient on crime. Cuellar abstained when the penalties were loosened. The amended code was put to death by President Joe Biden.