Five suspects have been arrested after US congresswoman Mary Gay Scanlon was carjacked in Philadelphia.
The Democrat representative for Pennsylvania’s 5th congressional district was held at gunpoint as her car was stolen on Wednesday afternoon.
She was unharmed in the incident which is said to have occurred as she walked to her sport utility vehicle following a meeting of elected officials.
Philadelphia Police Department said that Delaware state police took five suspects into custody after they were found in her car.
Two armed men believed to be 20 to 30 years of age approached Scanlon and demanded the keys to her vehicle, detectives said.
One man drove off in her car and the other got into a second SUV and followed as the pair made their getaway, the force added.
Several of Scanlon’s personal and work-related items were taken in the stolen vehicle.
Philadelphia Police Department said it is working with the FBI, which assumed the lead in the investigation because the victim is a member of Congress.
Mary Gay Scanlon thanked police for their ‘swift’ response
In a brief statement posted on Twitter, Scanlon, 62, who has served in the House of Representatives since November 2018, thanked the police department for its “swift response.”
Her spokesperson, Lauren Cox, said the congresswoman had just ended an outdoor meeting with other elected officials at FDR Park in south Philadelphia to discuss plans for future renovations to the area when the carjacking occurred.
“I am relieved that Congresswoman Scanlon was not physically injured, and my thoughts are with her during this difficult time,” Philadelphia Police Commissioner Danielle Outlaw said in a statement.
Scanlon serves on the House Judiciary and Rules committees and is vice chair of the House Administration Committee.