DC can be a dangerous place, and it seems like nobody, not even Congressional representatives, are truly safe. Grace Meng was faced with this reality head-on when she was attacked on Tuesday night. The New York Representative from Queens was walking down the street that evening after a pleasant dinner on capitol hill, when she was hit on the head by an unknown attacker. She fell to the ground, unconscious, and her Gucci handbag was stolen. Luckily, she was able to keep a hold of a seperate, cloth tote bag, which held all of her valuables, including her iPhone, money, and credit cards.

The incident took place around 8:30 PM, and Representative Meng was found by responding officers on the corner of 2nd Street and Independence Avenue, unconscious and bruised from the blow. She was transported to the George Washington University Hospital, where she was treated for abrasions, bruising, swelling and unconsciousness. She told doctors and nurses that she had no memory of what had happened after she left the dinner, or exactly how her purse had been stolen. No suspects have been found yet, but finger prints have been lifted from an old cell phone that fell out of her bag as the attacker fled.

Meng has proved resilient throughout the entire incident. She was quoted as saying, “I’m from New York City and I have not been mugged like that. But the Capitol Police were great, the D.C. Police Department was very helpful.” She missed some voting in the House on Wednesday afternoon, but arrived later in the day to carry out business as usual. She also tweeted about the incident, thanking people for their support and kindness, as well as ensuring that she was back on the job.

Thanks everyone for your concern and kind words. I was back at work today and am doing well.

— Grace Meng (@RepGraceMeng) November 21, 2013

Meng is a Democratic representative, and is known for her work with minorities and immigration laws. This writer is glad to hear that she is doing so well in the face of such a scare, and wishes her a speedy recovery and swift justice for the person who attacked her.

[Image courtesy of Grace Meng’s official Twitter page.]