A man suspected of carrying out the arson attack on the Chinese consulate in San Francisco, California, has been arrested, the U.S. Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) announced Monday.

David Johnson (2nd R), chief of the San Francisco office of the U.S. Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), speaks during a press conference in San Francisco Jan. 6, 2014. A man suspected of carrying out the arson attack on the Chinese Consulate in San Francisco has been arrested, the FBI announced on Monday.

The 39-year-old man suspect has permanent resident status of the United States, special Agent David Johnson, chief of the FBI's San Francisco office, said at a press conference.

The suspect was arrested Friday after he turned himself in by calling police in Daly City, some 16 km south of San Francisco, according to Johnson.

The suspect is currently held on two criminal charges, including causing damage to property of a foreign government and arson, said the special agent.

The investigators have so far been looking at the incident as a purely criminal matter, and do not believe politics or other organizations was involved.

Last Wednesday, a person got out of a mini-van parked in front of the main entrance of the Chinese consulate-general in San Francisco, poured two buckets of gasoline onto the front door and set it alight, according to a statement posted on the website of the consulate-general.

Fortunately, no one was hurt in the New Year's Day blaze that charred a doorway and damaged the lobby of the building.

After the press conference, the Chinese consulate-general in San Francisco urged the United States to punish the culprit, take effective measures to protect its diplomatic institutions and staff, and prevent the recurrence of similar incidents.

Source: Xinhuanet