FBI Agent Carjacked Near Capitol Hill in Washington Amid Surge in Crime

A U.S. Capitol Police officer stands by his car outside the Russell Senate Office Building in Washington after unconfirmed reports of an active shooter in the building near the U.S. Capitol on Aug. 2, 2023. (Saul Loeb/AFP via Getty Images)

An FBI employee’s vehicle was carjacked near Capitol Hill in Washington on Nov. 29, according to officials, marking one of the latest incidents to take place in the nation’s capital as it continues to battle soaring crime.

Officers responded to the armed carjacking incident in the 100 block of 12th St. NE at about 3:45 p.m., according to the Metropolitan Police Department.

Police confirmed the victim was a federal agent, who told officials that two suspects had taken the vehicle.

The stolen vehicle was recovered shortly after the incident, in the 1000 block of 15th St. SE, less than a mile from where the car was taken, officials said.

“At this time, we can confirm that an FBI employee was carjacked on the afternoon of November 29,” an FBI spokesperson said in an emailed statement to NBC Washington.

“The vehicle was recovered, and the FBI Washington Field Office and the Metropolitan Police Department’s Carjacking Task Force are investigating.”

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No further information has been released regarding the two suspects, and officials didn’t provide further details regarding the lead-up to and aftermath of the carjacking.

An FBI spokesperson referred The Epoch Times to a poster seeking information regarding the carjacking when contacted for comment.

According to the poster, the FBI is offering a reward of up to $10,000 for information that leads to the arrest of the individuals who carjacked the FBI agent.

The incident comes as violent crime rates have surged across Washington in the past year, according to police data, up by 40 percent year over year, with homicides up by 23 percent, robberies up by 69 percent, and arson up by 125 percent.

Assaults with a dangerous weapon are also up by 3 percent in 2023 compared to last year, according to the data, while motor vehicle thefts have surged by 93 percent.

Lawmakers Attacked

So far in 2023, there have been 906 carjackings, compared to 439 last year, according to separate police data, 77 percent of which involved victims being held at gunpoint.

The significant rise in carjackings and auto thefts has prompted police, via an initiative launched by Mayor Muriel Bowser’s government, to hand out auto-tracking devices.

In October, Rep. Henry Cuellar (D-Texas) revealed he was also the victim of a carjacking near the Capitol, which he said was carried out by three armed assailants.

The lawmaker wasn’t injured during the incident, which took place while he was attempting to park his vehicle outside of his Washington apartment in Navy Yard.

The 68-year-old Texas Democrat’s car was later recovered about two miles away in the Anacostia neighborhood.

In February, Rep. Angie Craig (D-Minn.) was attacked in an elevator at her Washington apartment building. A homeless man, later identified as Kendrick Hamlin, approached the lawmaker, assaulted her, and then fled when she defended herself, according to police.

Senate Staffer ‘Brutally Attacked’

Roughly a month after that incident, a staffer for Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.) was “brutally attacked in broad daylight” less than two miles from the U.S. Capitol.

Police said Phillip Todd—a staffer for Mr. Paul on the Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee—was stabbed “multiple times” by suspect Glynn Neal, 42, of Washington. Mr. Neal was subsequently arrested and charged with assault with intent to kill using a knife.

In November, the U.S. Secret Service confirmed that its agents tasked with protecting President Joe Biden’s granddaughter, Naomi Biden, opened fire after individuals attempted to break into an unmarked Secret Service vehicle in the capital.

No one was struck by the gunfire, the Secret Service said in a statement. Three people were seen fleeing in a red car, and the Secret Service said it put out a regional bulletin to Metropolitan Police to be on the lookout for it.

Amid growing criticism of the surge in crime across Washington, Ms. Bowser, a Democrat, has announced legislation aimed at addressing “public safety challenges” and “giving law enforcement more tools to hold criminals accountable and keep neighborhoods safe.”

Introduced in October, the “Addressing Crime Trends Now Act” will, among other things, reinstate a law preventing criminals from wearing a mask for the purpose of conducting a criminal act or intimidating, create criminal penalties for organized retail theft, limit loitering, and establish “temporary drug-free zones” across the city.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.