A Chinese national who admitted to police he set fire to his country’s consulate building in San Francisco reportedly told police that the voices in his head made him do it.
Yan Feng, 39, turned himself into police and admitted he tried to soak his passport with gasoline and set it on fire at the front door of the Chinese Consulate on New Year’s Eve, the FBI said, The Associated Press reported. The fire caused some damage to the front doorway and lobby, but nobody was injured.
FBI Special Agent in Charge David Johnson said Mr. Feng called police and turned himself in and was arrested at his home. Mr. Johnson said Mr. Feng admitted he purchased the gasoline, placed two containers of it by the consulate door and tried to set it on fire by torching his passport. When that effort failed, he then used a lighter to ignite the gas containers directly and then drove away, the FBI reported, AP said. Two days later, Mr. Feng called the Daly City police and said he was the suspect who “made the fire” at the building.
FBI agent Michael Eldredige said Mr. Feng told a group of officers that “he targeted the Chinese Consulate because all the voices he had been hearing were in Chinese and the Chinese Consulate had to have been involved,” AP reported.
He appeared in court for the first time on Monday to face charges of arson and property damage.
• Cheryl K. Chumley can be reached at cchumley@washingtontimes.com.
Please read our comment policy before commenting.