Texas Rep. Henry Cuellar carjacked by 3 armed men in D.C.

Oct. 3 (UPI) -- Rep. Henry Cuellar was the victim of a carjacking Monday night in Washington, D.C., his office told UPI.

The Texas Democrat was parking his car when three armed men approached him and stole his vehicle, Cuellar's chief of staff Jacob Hochberg told UPI in a text message.

"Luckily, he was not harmed and is working with local law enforcement," Hochberg said, adding that Cuellar's vehicle has since been recovered.

The carjacking occurred at 9:32 p.m. at New Jersey Avenue and K Street SE in the trendy Navy Yard neighborhood of the nation's capital, Paris Lewbel, deputy director of communications for the Metropolitan Police Department, told UPI in an emailed statement that confirmed the victim as "a member of Congress."

U.S. Capitol Police's Criminal Investigation Division has taken over the investigation, with Capitol Police assisting, Lewbel said.

According to D.C. Metropolitan Police statistics, there have been 750 carjackings this year, of which 75% involved a firearm.

The carjacking is not the first violent crime in the city this year involving politicians or their staffers as victims.

Almost eight months ago, Rep. Angie Craig, D-Minn., was attacked in the elevator of her Washington apartment building.

In March, a congressional staffer for Sen. Rand Paul, R-Ky., suffered serious injuries in a stabbing on H Street NE.

And a member of Minnesota Republican Rep. Brad Finstad's staff was attacked by an armed man near the U.S. Capitol in June.