A US citizen says he was thrown acid in his face after being told to return to his country

• Click to share on Facebook (Opens in a new window)
• Click to share on Twitter (Opens in a new window)
• Click here to share on LinkedIn (Opens in a new window)
• Click to email a friend (Opens in a new window)

(CNN) - A man was arrested after throwing acid at a US citizen, who says his attacker told him to "go back to his country."

Milwaukee police say they arrested a 61-year-old man in connection with the cruel attack on Muhad Villalaz that caused second-degree burns. The charges will be presented to the District Attorney General’s Office in the next few days, the official Public Information Sergeant of Milwaukee Sheronda Grant Police confirmed to CNN.

The attack occurred after the two men had an argument Friday night, and the suspect threw acid on Villalaz, according to the police department.

Villalaz told WISN, a CNN affiliate, that he had an argument with the attacker about how Villalaz had parked his car.

READ : This would pay fine (and jail) in some countries for discriminating

Villalaz said his attacker called him "illegal" and told him to "leave this country" before throwing acid in his face, WISN reported.

"I think I'm a victim of a hate crime because of how he approached me," Villalaz told WISN.

Villalaz is a 42-year-old welder who has been in the United States for 19 years, according to Darryl Morin, president of Forward Latino. Morin is helping the family manage media requests and deal with the incident, he told CNN.

Morin said Villalaz is a US citizen originally from Peru.

"He's fine," Morin told CNN about Villalaz's condition. "He is in a good mood and understands how bad things could have gone."

READ : Employee of a service station says that some clients must "return to their country" in a confrontation that was recorded

Villalaz has a wife and two young children to whom he also had to explain the incident, Morin said. "They couldn't understand how someone could do this to a person without knowing them."

The attack is now "being investigated as a hate crime," according to a statement by councilman José Pérez.

"The acid attack last night near 13 with Cleveland was a heinous crime that will have a long-term impact on the victim's life," Pérez said in the statement. "This was a pointless violence, it has to stop."

Pérez added that the community believes it is encouraging that the attack is being investigated as a hate crime.

The Milwaukee Police Department did not specify whether the attack is being investigated as a hate crime, and told CNN that "this is still an ongoing investigation."

Laura James of CNN contributed to this report.

Discrimination