PICTURED: Moment arson suspect lights a fire outside Bernie Sanders' Vermont office before cops arrest him days later at a motel

Security cameras captured the moment an arson suspect doused the door of Bernie Sanders' Vermont office before lighting it on fire.  

According to an affidavit obtained by DailyMail.com, suspect Shant Michael Soghomonian, 35, was arrested on April 7 at a nearby motel where he had been living for months.

Officials responded to a 911 call on April 5 to 1 Church Street about a fire that occurred on the third floor of the building. The fire had been set at the front door of Sanders' office.

Eric Brimo, a special agent with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, said in the affidavit that he saw 'large, dark burn marks on the door to the office and could smell the odor of smoke.'

Investigators later got surveillance video of the suspect starting the blaze. At one point, the cameras captured the man pending down and lighting a liquid on fire before fleeing. 

It's unclear why the suspect targeted the liberal senator's office.  

A man was arrested after attempting arson at Senator Bernie Sanders ' Burlington, Vermont office

Video showed the suspect pouring a liquid and then lighting it on fire, which caused significant damage to the door 

According to an affidavit obtained by DailyMail.com, Shant Michael Soghomonian, 35, was arrested on April 7 at a motel 

When Brimo arrived at the office, he walked through the office with Burlington police officers. 

'I observed the sprinkler system had been activated, flooding parts of the lobby, second floor, and third-floor office building,' he said in the affidavit.

'I walked up the stairwell and entered the third-floor vestibule, where I observed large, dark burn marks on the door to the office and could smell the odor of smoke.

'I also observed what appeared to be remains of a canister of lighter fluid and a red cap that were lying on the floor near the door.

The ATF agent said he was told the Burlington Fire Department was still inspecting the building.

'I was advised [the fire department] had broken through the dram and wall surrounding the door to confirm that the fire had not yet spread beyond the immediate area through the walls and that the building occupants were safe,' he said.

'I was further advised that the Senator's office had seven employees working at the time of the fire who were not harmed and were able to evacuate safely.' 

Security footage showed the suspect believed to be Soghomonian, who was dressed in dark clothing and an orange beanie emerge from the elevator and walk straight to Sanders' office door around 10:40 am.

The suspect is then seen taking out a container and dumping unidentified liquid across the bottom of the office's front door.

He then dropped the container on the floor, took out a lighter, set the area on fire where the liquid had been poured.  The perpetrator then escaped by a nearby stairwell.

First responders said only the outside of the door had fire damage.

It's unclear why the suspect targeted Bernie Sanders' Vermont office 

Security footage showed the suspect believed to be Soghomonian, who was dressed in dark clothing and an orange beanie emerge from the elevator and walk straight to Sanders' Burlington, Vermont, office door around 10:40 am 

Security footage showed Soghomonian, who was dressed in dark clothing and an orange beanie emerge from the elevator and walk straight to Sanders' office door around 10:40 am

First responders said only the outside of the door had fire damage

On April 6, The manager at the Inn at Burlington, Gavin Grady, notified authorities that he recognized the suspect from the media release as he had been a guest at the hotel for close to two months 

On April 6, The manager at the Inn at Burlington, Gavin Grady, notified authorities that he recognized the suspect from the media release as he had been a guest at the hotel for close to two months.

Grady and coworker Nathan Hutchins cooperated with Burlington police Sgt. John Stroughton and have them as many details as they could about Soghomonian.

'Grady and Hutchins indicated they recognized Soghomonian, who checked in as "Michael Soghomonian" because he had stayed at the hotel for several weeks,' per court documents.

'Hutchins stated that based on the individual's physical build and "fashion sense" from the media release, the individual depicted in the still frames definitly matched Soghomonian from Hutchins' observations of him while he was staying at the hotel for close to two months.

'Hutchins advised he had several interactions with the perpetrator because he would frequently come down to the lobby in the evenings and kept renewing his hotel stay for one or two nights at a time throughout his stay at the hotel.'  

Brimo concluded that he believes there is probable cause that Soghomonian 'maliciously damaged by means of fire the building at One Church Street-a building used in interstate commerce and as a play of activity affecting interstate commerce.'

Soghomonian was federally charged with using fire to damage a building used in interstate commerce, per federal officials. 

His next court date has not yet been scheduled.