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Alleged arsonist arrested after fire at Sen. Bernie Sanders’ Vermont office
Police arrested a man accused of arson at Sen. Bernie Sanders’ Vermont office, officials said Sunday.
Shant Soghomonian, a 35-year-old man also known as Michael Soghomonian, entered the Burlington building on Friday morning and headed to the third floor where Sanders’ office is located, the United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Vermont said in a statement Sunday. Security video shows the alleged arsonist spray a liquid near the office’s outer door, then he allegedly started a fire using a handheld lighter.
Burlington Police
Sanders was not in his Burlington office at the time of the fire, authorities said, but several employees were there. They were not injured during the incident. Injuries were not reported for people on any of the other floors in the building.
The fire damaged the outside of the office door and surrounding areas, officials said. Sprinklers went off on multiple floors in the building. The Burlington Fire Department described the fire damage to the door as moderate. It said there was significant water damage to the third floor and floors below. Covers were put on the floors below Sanders’ office to protect items from water.
After allegedly starting the fire, the suspect left via a staircase, officials said. Soghomonian was arrested on Sunday. Authorities have not specified a possible motive.
If covnicted, Soghomonian faces a maximum possible penalty of not less than 5 years and not more than 20 years in prison and a fine of up to $250,000. An initial appearance in court has not yet been scheduled.
NEW YORK — Former New York Gov. David Paterson and his stepson were attacked in New York City on Friday night, authorities said.
The incident occurred just before 9 p.m. on Second Avenue near East 96th Street on the Upper East Side, according to the New York City Police Department.
Police said officers were sent to the scene after an assault was reported. When officers arrived, police say they found a 20-year-old man suffering from facial injuries and a 70-year-old man who had head pain. Both victims were taken to a local hospital in stable condition.
In a statement, a spokesperson for the former governor said the two were attacked while “taking a walk around the block near their home by some individuals that had a previous interaction with his stepson.”
The spokesperson said that they were injured “but were able to fight off their attackers.”
Both were taken to Cornell Hospital “as a precaution,” he added.
Police said no arrests have been made and the investigation is ongoing.
The 70-year-old Paterson, a Democrat, served as governor from 2008 to 2010, stepping into the post after the resignation of Eliot Spitzer following his prostitution scandal. He made history at the time as the state’s first-ever Black and legally blind governor.
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A 17-year-old boy was critically injured and a person is in custody after a gunman opened fire on a SEPTA bus in North Philadelphia Friday evening, police said.
At around 6:15 p.m., Philadelphia police were notified about a shooting on a SEPTA bus traveling on Allegheny Avenue near 3rd and 4th streets in North Philadelphia, Inspector D F Pace told CBS News Philadelphia.
There were an estimated 30 people on the bus at the time of the shooting, Pace said, but only the 17-year-old boy was believed to have been shot. Investigators said they believe it was a targeted attack on the teenager and that he was shot in the back of the bus at close range.
According to Pace, the SEPTA bus driver alerted a control center about the shooting, which then relayed the message to Philadelphia police, who responded to the scene shortly.
Officers arrived at the scene and found at least one spent shell casing and blood on the bus, but no shooting victim, Pace said. Investigators later discovered the 17-year-old had been taken to Temple University Hospital where he is said to be in critical condition, according to police.
CBS Philadelphia
Through their preliminary investigation, police learned those involved in the SEPTA shooting may have fled in a silver-colored Kia.
Authorities then found a car matching the description of the Kia speeding in the area and a pursuit began, Pace said. Police got help from a PPD helicopter as they followed the Kia, which ended up crashing at 5th and Greenwood streets in East Mount Airy. Pace said the Kia crashed into a parked car.
The driver of the crashed car ran away but police were still able to take them into custody, Pace said.
Investigators believe there was a second person involved in the shooting who ran from the car before it crashed. Police said they believe this person escaped near Allegheny Avenue and 4th Street, leaving a coat behind.
According to Pace, police also found a gun and a group of spent shell casings believed to be involved in the shooting in the same area.
“It’s very possible that there may have been a shooting inside the bus and also shots fired from outside of the bus toward the bus,” Pace said, “We’re still trying to piece all that together at this time.”
This is an active investigation and police are reviewing surveillance footage from the SEPTA bus.