A suspect was arrested Sunday in connection with a fire at Sen. Bernie Sanders' Vermont office that is being investigated as arson, according to the Department of Justice.
Shant Soghomonian, 35, also known as Michael Soghomonian, formerly of Northridge, California, was arrested Sunday on suspicion of starting a fire at Sanders' office in Burlington, Vermont, the Justice Department said in a press release. Announced in the release.
According to court records, Soghomonian entered the building Friday morning and went to the third floor, where Sanders' Burlington office is located. According to the Justice Department, security video shows the suspect spraying the liquid near the outside door of the office and then lighting up the area with a handheld lighter, starting a fire.
The fire damaged the outside of Sanders' office door and the surrounding area, and caused sprinklers in the building to discharge on multiple floors, the Justice Department said. Several of Sanders' employees were occupying the office at the time, but no one was physically injured in the incident, the official added. It is unclear how many other occupants were in the building at the time, but no injuries were reported.
A request for comment from Sanders' office on Sunday pointed to a statement he made regarding the fire at Sanders' office in Vermont.
“We deeply appreciate the swift, professional and coordinated efforts of local, state and federal law enforcement agencies to respond to the fire that occurred at our office in Vermont on Friday,” he said. “We are also grateful that the many people who were in the office building at the time of the fire were not injured.”
“Thank you for the outpouring of support and well wishes for me and my staff,” he added. “We are proud to continue serving the people of Vermont during this difficult time.”
Firefighters were called to the building Friday, which houses Sanders' only congressional office in the state. They “discovered a fire in the hallway between the elevator and the front door.” [Sanders’] office,” the fire department said in a news release.
Sanders' state secretary, Kathryn Van Heist, said in a statement Friday that no staff members inside the building were harmed in the incident. Mr. Sanders was not in the building at the time.
Mr. Sogomonian's first appearance before Federal Judge Kevin J. Doyle has not yet been scheduled. If convicted, he could face five to 20 years in prison and a fine of up to $250,000. It is unclear whether Mr. Sogomonian has filed a petition.
