Minnesota Man Sentenced in Arson Fire That Trapped Infant in Home
Minneapolis, MN (MinnesotaNow) - A Minnesota man has been sentenced to 15 years in prison for an arson fire involving a townhome occupied by five people, including an infant.
The Office of the U.S. Attorney for Minnesota says the fire occurred on May 31, 2024, in Eden Prairie. According to court documents, an adult man and four children were in the residence when the fire started.
Baby Trapped Inside Burning Home
Federal prosecutors say the adult and three of the children were able to safely evacuate before emergency responders arrived, but a 9-month-old baby was still inside the burning residence. Eden Prairie firefighters rescued the child, who was transported to a hospital for treatment.
Threatened Infant's Mother
The charges against 23-year-old Abdirahman Abdi Abdullahi say he was on probation for violating a restraining order that prohibited him from contacting the mother of the infant, who also lived in the townhome. It was also alleged that he sent a threatening message to the woman two days before the fire that stated, “when I see u I am a smoke u.”
Gasoline Soaked Bag of Clothing
The court documents say Abdullahi started the fire by igniting a bag of gasoline-soaked clothing at the entrance of the townhome. A news release says the resulting fire collapsed the garage roof and ultimately destroyed the home, while also threatening neighboring residences.
Treated as Attempted Murder For Sentencing
Abdullahi earlier entered a guilty plea to a federal charge of arson resulting in personal injury. In sentencing him, the federal judge presiding over the case found that he had intended to cause the death of the baby’s mother when he started the fire, and his 15-year sentence follows guidelines for attempted murder.
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