A man has been arrested on charges of using an accelerant and a lighter to initiate a fire on Friday outside Senator Bernie Sanders's office in Burlington, Vermont, according to the Department of Justice.
Shant Soghomonian (also known as Michael Soghomonian), 35, previously of Northridge, California, was arrested on Sunday on a charge of using fire to damage the building at One Church Street in Burlington, the U.S. Attorney's office for the district of Vermont said in a statement on Sunday.
According to prosecutors and the Burlington Police Department, Soghomonian entered the vestibule of the senator's office on Friday morning. He was recorded by a security camera and the footage allegedly shows him spraying what appeared to be an accelerant near the outer door of the office.
Soghomonian proceeded to ignite it using a lighter, resulting in a fire, prosecutors stated.
As he fled via a staircase, the fire triggered the building's sprinkler system on multiple floors.
The sprinklers successfully doused the flames before firefighters arrived at approximately 10:45 a.m., as confirmed by the police. A possible motive for the fire is not identified yet.
According to NBC News, Sanders was not present in the building at the time of the incident.
Kathryn Van Haste, Sanders' state director, said on Friday that no staff members present in the building suffered any harm during the incident.
The exact number of other occupants present in the building at the time remains unknown.
Sanders said in a statement on Friday: "I am deeply grateful to the swift, professional, coordinated efforts of local, state, and federal law enforcement in response to the fire at my Vermont office on Friday.
"I am also thankful that none of the many people who were in the office building at the time of the fire were injured.
"I appreciate the outpouring of support and well-wishes for me and my staff. We are proud to be able to continue to serve Vermonters during these challenging times."
No date has been set for Soghomonian's initial appearance before U.S. Magistrate Judge Kevin J. Doyle. If convicted, he could face a sentence ranging from five to 20 years in prison and a maximum fine of $250,000.
