Dad accused of igniting blaze that killed 14-year-old son, Washington police say

A 14-year-old Washington boy died after a fire tore through his family home and his father is now accused of starting the blaze, according to a probable cause affidavit from the King County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office.

Mohamed Abdi, 38, of Seattle, was arrested on Tuesday and brought to the Seattle Police Department, where detectives told him his son had died, according to the affidavit.

“He showed no reaction and did not respond to investigator’s questions except to ask for water, a cigarette and a Coke,” the affidavit said.

First responders arrived at the house fire in South Seattle about 4 a.m. on Jan. 22 and found five residents standing outside their home, which was engulfed in flames, the affidavit said. Two of the residents were missing from the group — the teen and his father, Abdi, according to the affidavit.

Firefighters found the boy in the master bathroom and carried him outside, the affidavit said. He was taken to Harborview Medical Center, where he died from his injuries on Jan. 26, according to the affidavit.

Medical staff and the boy’s family tried multiple times to contact Abdi about his son’s condition but were unsuccessful, the affidavit said.

Abdi was “nowhere to be found,” which his family said was unusual.

The family told investigators that everyone was asleep when the fire started and the last time Abdi was seen was around 1 a.m., the affidavit said.

Investigators found multiple indications that the fire was likely started with gasoline, according to the affidavit. Abdi was seen walking away from the house on surveillance video from neighboring residences just before first responders arrived, according to the affidavit.

The affidavit states Seattle police officers responded to a 911 call at the same residence in July 2018, where family members “reported that [Abdi] had threatened to kill members of the household and had also threatened to burn the house down with everyone in it.”

Family members told investigators that Abdi had “been erratic” before the most recent incident. They had heard him yelling in the garage, where he lived, and he was “consistently belligerent,” the affidavit said.

Abdi has been charged with first-degree murder and a judge set his bail at $2 million, according to Casey McNerthey, a spokesperson for the prosecutor’s office.

This story was originally published February 4, 2021 at 4:54 PM with the headline "Dad accused of igniting blaze that killed 14-year-old son, Washington police say."