A 23-year-old Minnesota man has been sentenced to 15 years in federal prison after intentionally setting fire to his ex-girlfriend’s home while children were trapped inside.
Abdirahman Abdi Abdullahi was sentenced on Monday, May 11, after pleading guilty to one count of arson causing physical harm, according to the United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Minnesota.
The event took place on May 31, 2024, at a townhouse in Eden Prairie. At the time of the fire, Abdullahi was on probation for violating a restraining order that prohibited him from contacting the woman who resided at the house.
Prosecutors stated that two days before the fire, Abdullahi sent a threatening message to the victim, saying, “When I see you, I’m going to smoke you,” and had also been at her home, threatening her life.
On the day of the arson, authorities allege Abdullahi rented a car from a third party and filled up a gas can at a nearby station. He parked down the block and approached the house through a hedgerow.
“A fire investigation showed that Abdullahi used that gas can to douse the bag of clothes, which he set fire to at the entrance of the home,” the U.S. Attorney’s Office said. The following fire was intense enough to melt the front doorknob and collapse the garage roof, utterly demolishing the house and causing damage to other properties.
The ex-girlfriend was not present, but there was an adult guy and four children in the house. The guy and three of the children managed to get out of the building on their own. However, a 9-month-old baby remained stuck inside. Firefighters were forced to enter the blazing structure to save the baby, who was then transported to a nearby hospital for treatment.
At the sentencing hearing, the court stressed the premeditated character of the crime, describing Abdullahi’s conduct as “calculated, cold” planning. Following his 180-month jail sentence, Abdullahi will be required to serve three years of supervised release.
Leave a Reply