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Police arrest suspect in Minneapolis mosque fires

Late Saturday night, Minneapolis Police Chief Brian O'Hara said a person suspected of setting fire to two mosques was in custody.

MINNEAPOLIS — According to Minneapolis police, a man charged with setting a mosque on fire earlier in the week has been arrested and is expected to appear in federal court on Monday. 

Chief Brian O'Hara said during a press conference that numerous law enforcement agencies, including the FBI and ATF, collaborated to arrest the man suspected of setting fires at two mosques in south Minneapolis. 

According to the U.S. Attorney's Office, Jackie Rahm Little, aka Joel Arthur Tueting, was caught and arrested Saturday night in Mankato by the Blue Earth County Sheriff's Office and was taken into federal custody Sunday by FBI and ATF agents, with help from Minneapolis and St. Paul police departments. 

A U.S. Attorney's Office spokesperson said Little has been charged federally with arson.

"Let this be a lesson to anyone who seeks to cause harm through acts of hate. We will find you. We will remove you from our streets. And we will ensure you are held accountable," O'Hara said in his statement.

Chief O'Hara said police do not think there is any other known, active threat to the community. 

Watch a press conference from Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey and Chief Brian O'Hara here: 

"This type of hatred will not ever stand in Minneapolis," O'Hara said at the Sunday afternoon press conference. 

"We welcome the arrest of the arson suspect and express gratitude to law enforcement for their swift action. This arrest brings some relief to our community, which has been on edge for the past week. We hope to learn more about the suspect's motivations and any potential accomplices who may have incited these attacks on our houses of worship,” CAIR-MN Executive Director Jaylani Hussein said in a statement. 

According to an affidavit, on the evening of April 23, Little started a fire in the bathroom of the Masjid Omar Islamic Center. The next night, shortly before a fire broke out on the third floor, Little was seen on surveillance video entering the Masjid Al Rahma Mosque. 

If convicted of setting the fire at Masjid Al Rahma mosque, Little faces up to 10 years in prison and a $20,000 fine.

"Relief... I just felt relief," said Abukar Abdullahi after hearing the news of Little's arrest. Abdullahi's business, Kalkaal Income Tax and Immigration Service, is located just down the hall from Masjid Omar Islamic Center.

Prior to the arson incidents, Little was seen on surveillance video entering the Minneapolis office of a U.S. Representative on Jan. 5, 2023, and spray painting "500" on the Rep's door, according to court documents. He also took a picture of the graffiti. 

U.S. Representative Ilhan Omar released a separate statement saying that her office was the target of Little's vandalism.

"As Muslim-Americans and as Minnesotans, we will not be terrorized. We will continue to stand united against bigotry because love is stronger than hate,” she said in the statement.

Later, in the same day he was seen at Omar's office, Little painted the same "500" text on a patrol vehicle assigned to a Minneapolis police officer of Somali descent as well as an entryway to the market often referred to as the "Somali Mall." 

O'Hara said, in response, they have enhanced patrols around all houses of worship and are taking extra precautions with 911 calls that come in from those places. 

"I've worked with the 911 communication center to ensure that any time someone calls 911 for an emergency or potentially a crime in any house of worship, that as soon as the call is received, the field supervisor from police is immediately notified over the radio," O'Hara said. 

O'Hara also said officers have started visiting all the mosques in Minneapolis to help them review security features. 

Little is expected to make his initial appearance in U.S. District Court before Magistrate Judge Elizabeth Cowan Wright on Monday, May 1. 

The arrest announcement comes just hours after dozens of people gathered at Mercy Center in south Minneapolis in a show of support for the community. 

"We refuse to be pessimistic, we're always optimistic even in the most precarious moments and the most difficult times like this," said Imam Mowlid Ali. 

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