MINNEAPOLIS — A 36-year-old Minneapolis man is charged with arson in connection with one of two fires at local mosques this week.
Hennepin County court documents allege Jackie Rahm Little intentionally set fire to south Minneapolis' Masjid Al Rahma mosque Monday.
If convicted, Little faces up to 10 years in prison and a $20,000 fine.
Prosecutors say mosque surveillance footage obtained during their investigation showed a man, believed to be Little, enter the building carrying a bag. Investigators determined Little had been concealing a gas can, which was later found melted where the fire broke out.
First discovered by a building employee, Minneapolis Fire and Police responded and evacuated a number of adults and children inside the building while crews knocked down the flames on the third floor.
The criminal complaint says the building sustained approximately $1,000 worth of damage.
In more surveillance video from a nearby gas station, Little was seen purchasing a gas can and filling it with gas that day, according to the charges.
Little's whereabouts are currently unknown, but police have issued a warrant for his arrest. Authorities say it isn't clear if the fire set at Minneapolis' Mall 24 mosque the day before is connected.
Additional court documents from Hennepin County show Little was arrested and charged with second-degree arson stemming from an incident in December 2021, in which he was accused of setting fire to a vehicle. Records show Little was subsequently bailed out by the Minnesota Freedom Fund.
According to CAIR-MN, the leadership at Masjid Al Rahma mosque will hold an event at 6 p.m. Saturday to raise money to help rebuild and restore the church.
"We are not shaken by these acts, we are only more resolved," said Jaylani Hussein, the executive director of CAIR, following news of the fire.
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