Ex-boyfriend charged with arson in EP house fire

Editor’s note: This story has been updated to reflect the conditions of those injured in the fire.

A 23-year-old Eden Prairie man has been charged with one count of first-degree arson after a house fire on Friday, May 31, that injured five people, including a 9-month-old infant, according to a criminal complaint filed in Hennepin County District Court.

Abdullahi Abdi Abdullahi Jr., ex-boyfriend of one of the residents, is accused of intentionally setting fire to a home in the 8500 block of Cardiff Lane. The fire broke out about 11:30 a.m. and caused significant damage to that residence and also damaged another house nearby.

Eden Prairie police and firefighters arrived to find parts of the house and garage engulfed in flames, the criminal complaint stated. A man was carrying a child outside, while two women were reportedly crying and screaming that a baby was still inside. The three adults lived at the house with four children, ages 6, 3, 1 and 9 months.

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The man told officers he was home with the children and had been sleeping upstairs when he awoke to fire alarms and heavy smoke. He escaped with the three older children but initially believed the 9-month-old infant had been taken by the women, who were not home at the time. Firefighters entered the house and rescued the infant.

City authorities said Friday that the infant was taken to Children’s Minnesota in Minneapolis, while four others, including three children and an adult, were also hospitalized. The man in the house at the time of the fire reported burns to his hair and feet as he escaped barefoot.

On Tuesday, a city spokesperson reported that all victims were treated and released on the same day, except for the infant, who was released on Saturday.

Officers spoke with one of the women, identified as Abdullahi’s ex-girlfriend, who told them she suspected Abdullahi of setting the fire. She said that two days earlier, Abdullahi had come to the house, threatened to kill her and kicked the front door. She reported the incident to police at the time.

Police said surveillance footage from nearby businesses showed a man in black parking a red Jeep near the house before the fire. The man is seen carrying a white trash bag and a red gas can toward the house. About six minutes later, he runs back to the Jeep with the gas can and drives away quickly.

Detectives determined the Jeep was rented from an Enterprise location in Eden Prairie on May 28 by another man. Officers located that man on May 31 at a nearby smoke shop where Abdullahi works. The man told police he rented the vehicle but immediately gave it to Abdullahi, who returned it on the afternoon of May 31.

Police showed Abdullahi’s ex-girlfriend the surveillance video of the red Jeep and the man holding the gas can. She identified Abdullahi as the man in the video and confirmed he was driving the same vehicle on May 29 when he threatened her.

Abdullahi, who is currently on probation for violating a felony harassment restraining order against his ex-girlfriend, remains in custody. His bail was set on June 4 at $1 million with conditions. If convicted of the arson charge, he could face up to 20 years in prison and a $20,000 fine.