A Hennepin County man will spend 15 years in federal prison after prosecutors said he torched an Eden Prairie townhome with four children inside, including a 9-month-old baby who had to be rushed to the hospital. Firefighters pulled the infant from the burning home and got the child to medical care, while three other kids and an adult inside suffered less serious injuries. The sentence comes nearly a year after the May 31, 2024 blaze and follows a federal conviction for arson causing injury.
What Prosecutors Say
According to the U.S. Department of Justice, investigators tied Abdirahman Abdi Abdullahi to the fire at a townhome on the 8000 block of Cardiff Lane in Eden Prairie. A federal complaint says surveillance video captured a man carrying a red gas can toward the residence, then later returning to a rental vehicle. Agents said they followed the paper trail from that rental agreement as part of the case that ultimately led to his conviction.
Evidence And Threats
Prosecutors say Abdullahi was already on probation for violating a restraining order that barred him from contacting the child's mother. Two days before the fire, he allegedly sent her a chilling message: "when i see u i'm smoke u," as reported by KSTP. Investigators point to video from nearby businesses and a gas station security camera that shows the red gas can being filled as key pieces of evidence tying him to the arson.
Sentence And Next Steps
A federal judge handed down a 15-year sentence after a jury convicted Abdullahi of one count of arson causing injury in federal court, according to CBS Minnesota. Prosecutors say a separate Minnesota charge of first-degree arson remains on the books at the state level but is currently dormant, which leaves the door open for local authorities to revive that case down the line.
Legal Context And Community Resources
The U.S. Attorney's Office says the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives teamed up with Eden Prairie police to investigate, and that rental records, multiple surveillance clips, and clothing matches formed the backbone of the federal prosecution, per the Justice Department. A child endangering blaze report in July 2024 detailed the original federal complaint. For confidential help related to domestic violence, the National Domestic Violence Hotline is 1-800-799-7233.
