A man was charged Sunday with starting a fire outside U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders' office in Vermont, federal prosecutors said.
Chant Sogomonyan, 35, who formerly worked at Northridge, entered the building on Friday and went to Sanders' third-floor office, where security video showed him spraying a liquid on the door and setting it on fire, officials said.
The interior of the building suffered some damage as a result of the fire and sprinklers that flooded the area with water, but no one was hurt. Sanders, an independent, was not in office at the time.
Sogomonyan was arrested Sunday on suspicion of using fire to damage a building used in interstate commerce, according to a statement from Nicholas Kirst, U.S. Attorney for Vermont.
The motive remained unclear. Sogomonyan was arrested on Sunday and could not be reached for comment. It was not immediately known if he had an attorney and a date for an initial court appearance had not been set, officials said.
This crime is punishable by a maximum of 20 years in prison and a fine of up to $250,000.
The case was investigated by the Burlington, Shelburne and Williston police departments. Vermont State Police; Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives; U.S. Capitol Police, officials said.
