An Eden Prairie man faces serious charges after allegedly igniting a townhome where four young children were inside; U.S. Attorney Andrew M. Luger announced the arson charge stemming from the harrowing incident that took place late last May. Court documents reveal that on May 31, the Eden Prairie Fire Department raced against time to quell a burning residence which, unbeknownst to them at the moment, became a grim scene of potential child endangerment with an infant's life hanging in the balance.
Upon their arrival, emergency personnel were greeted by an adult and three children who had escaped the flames; however, a nine-month-old baby, later identified as Minor A, was still trapped inside, while firefighters bravely entered the inferno to rescue the infant who was subsequently hospitalized for injuries sustained.
In a disturbing twist, subsequent investigations by the Eden Prairie Police and ATF officials unraveled a backstory involving the suspect, 23-year-old Abdirahman Abdi Abdullahi, who was under probation for violating a restraining order; the order explicitly prohibited him from making contact with Minor A's mother, according to a statement by the Department of Justice. This restraining order wasn't the only precursor to the tragic events, as Abdullahi had purportedly issued threats to the mother two days prior, which police were able to tie into their investigation along with damning surveillance footage from a nearby business and gas station.
The video evidence captured Abdullahi, in what is described as a calculated maneuver, carrying a gas can through some bushes towards the now-charred townhome and later returning without it; even more compelling, officials were able to tie him to the crime through a rental agreement for the vehicle spotted at the scene - during his arrest, clothing matching that seen in the footage was also found. Charged with one count of arson causing injury, Abdullahi appeared in court on July 1 and awaits a detention hearing slated for July 8, as Assistant U.S. Attorney William C. Mattessich leads the prosecution amidst the ongoing investigations.
