ST PAUL, Minn. — A Plymouth man suspected in a pair of Minneapolis mosque fires is now federally charged in one of them.
Jackie Rahm Little appeared in U.S. District Court in St. Paul Monday on a criminal complaint saying he did "maliciously damage or destroy, or attempt to damage or destroy, by means of fire or an explosive, a building or other real or personal property used in interstate or foreign commerce."
The complaint was filed in connection with a fire April 24 at the Masjid Al Rahma mosque at 2647 Bloomington Ave. S. In an affidavit to support the criminal complaint, Investigators say Little is seen on surveillance video entering the mosque shortly before 7 p.m. with a plastic gas can inside a brown paper bag. Minutes later a volunteer security guard came running into the office saying the third floor was on fire.
A number of adults and children inside the building were evacuated while fire crews extinguished a fire on the third floor. Damage is estimated to be in the tens of thousands of dollars.
Jackie Little is scheduled to make his next appearance on Thursday, May 4 at 11 a.m. before U.S. Magistrate Judge Elizabeth Cowan Wright.
The affidavits filed along with the complaint suggest Little could face charges in a number of additional acts, including an alleged act of vandalism at a U.S. Congresswoman's office.
Little, also known as Joel Arthur Tueting, was arrested over the weekend in Mankato. He is already charged at the state level with starting a fire in a hallway of the Mercy Islamic Center in Minneapolis on April 24, but in court documents, federal investigators tie him to a number of additional acts that appear to target people who are Muslim or Somali.
An affidavit filed in support of a criminal complaint against Little says he vandalized the Minneapolis office of U.S. Rep. Ilhan Omar, the "Somali Mall" and a Minneapolis police squad car driven by a Somali officer on Jan. 5, 2023.
KARE 11's Lou Raguse tweeted images included in the affidavit that allegedly captures Little shoplifting spray paint from Target on Nicollet Avenue in downtown Minneapolis. Federal authorities say they know it is Little as he walks with an unusual gate, swinging his left arm widely.
Additional images show Little entering Omar's office, where he reportedly spray-painted "500" on a wall. Investigators said at the time they don't know what the message means. They say he also spray painted "500" on the entrance to a Somali mall and an MPD squad car on the same day.
The affidavit says investigators believe Little was responsible for emailing Omar's office days earlier on Dec. 30 and 31, attaching photos of a Quaran in a toilet and another of a bloody ear.
Federal investigators included additional photos they say capture Little entering the Masjid Omar and Mercy Islamic Centers, one with a gas can in plain sight and another with a container allegedly concealed in a plastic bag.
ATF officials say Lilttle's mother told them he once engaged in extensive harassment of a Muslim woman, and that he has had a fascination with fire from a young age. His mother reportedly told investigators she strongly suspects he is involved in several other unreported arsons, based on occasions he has asked for rides to-and-from various locations.
KARE 11 is following this developing story and will have the latest information as it becomes available.
WATCH MORE ON KARE 11+
Download the free KARE 11+ app for Roku, Fire TV, Apple TV and other smart TV platforms to watch more from KARE 11 anytime! The KARE 11+ app includes live streams of all of KARE 11's newscasts. You'll also find on-demand replays of newscasts; the latest from KARE 11 Investigates, Breaking the News and the Land of 10,000 Stories; exclusive programs like Verify and HeartThreads; and Minnesota sports talk from our partners at Locked On Minnesota.
- Add KARE 11+ on Roku here or by searching for KARE 11 in the Roku Channel Store.
- Add KARE 11+ on Fire TV here or by searching for KARE 11 in the Amazon App Store.
- Learn more about the KARE 11+ app for Apple TV in the Apple App Store.
- Learn more about KARE 11+ here.
Watch more local news:
Watch the latest local news from the Twin Cities and across Minnesota in our YouTube playlist: