Suspect in Chinese consulate arson says he heard 'mysterious voices'

San Francisco (CNS) -- The arson suspect in the Chinese consulate fire in San Francisco told investigators that it was "mysterious voices in Chinese" that drove him to commit the crime, the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) said Monday.

Yanfeng Feng, the suspect, called the police last Friday, two days after the Chinese consulate in San Francisco sustained fire and smoke damage, FBI special agent David Johnson said at a news conference.

After surrendering to law enforcement, Feng told federal agents that he targeted the consulate "because all the voices he had been hearing were in Chinese and the Chinese Consulate had to have been involved."

Feng, 39, who lives in Daly City, California, south of San Francisco, is a permanent US resident with no criminal record, said Johnson.

Peter Lee, an FBI spokesperson at the San Francisco field office confirmed that Feng was a Chinese American.

Feng's criminal act was individual, and did not involve any terrorist organizations, politics, or democratic rights, Johnson said.

He said the suspect now faces charges of arson and property damage. "We're looking at it purely as a criminal matter."

After the FBI's press conference on Monday, a spokesman of the Chinese consulate in San Francisco said that the consulate has noted the efforts made by the US to investigate the attack and bring the perpetrator to justice.

"We will follow up closely with the US side on the trial," he said.

The spokesman also urged the US to learn lessons from this incident, take effective measures to ensure the safety, security and dignity of Chinese diplomatic and consulate missions and staff in the US and prevent the recurrence of similar incidents.

Consulate operations resumed

The Chinese consulate in San Francisco resumed normal operations last Saturday.

A renovation program for the consulate's damaged gate has kicked off. The renovation charge will be paid by the American government.

After the incident, the San Francisco Police Department has arranged 24-hour surveillance around the consulate.