A 23-year-old Minnesota man has been ordered to serve 15 years in federal prison for 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 resulting in personal injury, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Minnesota.
The incident occurred on May 31, 2024, at a townhouse in Eden Prairie. At the time of the blaze, Abdullahi was on probation for a prior violation of a restraining order that barred him from contacting the woman who lived at the residence.
Prosecutors noted that two days before the fire, Abdullahi sent a threatening message to the victim stating, “when I see u I’m smoke u,” and had also appeared at her door threatening her life.
On the day of the arson, authorities say Abdullahi secured a rental car through a third party and filled a gas can at a nearby station. He then parked down the block and approached the home through a line of hedges.
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“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 stated. The resulting fire was powerful enough to melt the front doorknob and cause the garage roof to collapse, completely destroying the home and damaging adjacent properties.
While the ex-girlfriend was not present at the time, an adult man and four children were in the house. The man and three of the children managed to escape the building on their own. However, a 9-month-old infant remained trapped inside. Firefighters were forced to enter the burning structure to rescue the baby, who was then rushed to a local hospital for medical treatment.
At the sentencing hearing, the judge emphasized the premeditated nature of the crime, describing Abdullahi’s actions as “calculated, cold” preparation. Following his 180-month prison term, Abdullahi will be required to serve three years of supervised release.
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