Jury convicts man who grabbed girl, 12, from Twin Cities backyard and raped her

Jurors have convicted a man for grabbing a 12-year-old girl at random from her Minneapolis backyard last year and raping her.

Qalinle Ibrahim Dirie, 42, of Minneapolis was found guilty Wednesday by a Hennepin County District Court jury of first-degree criminal sexual conduct in connection with the assault on June 5.

Dirie remained jailed without bail Thursday; he is scheduled to be sentenced on July 22.

“My thoughts are with the victim and her family as they process this outcome,” County Attorney Mary Moriarty said Thursday. “Mr. Dirie committed a heinous crime against a child, and securing a guilty verdict ensures he is held accountable and incapacitated for the safety of the public.”

According to the criminal complaint:

On June 10, police met at HCMC with the girl’s older sister and were told that an “unknown male came to the front of the house in a white car, grabbed and drove off with the child and raped her.”

An assault exam was conducted at the hospital and results were sent to the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension for analysis.

While at CornerHouse, which provides interview services in cases of suspected child sexual abuse, the girl said she had seen the man drive by her home often in a white car. She said that while in her backyard one day, he stopped in the alley and asked whether her mother was home. She said no, and he left but returned about 10 minutes later.

The girl said he picked her up and forced her into his car, striking her head in the process. She said the blow made her feel dizzy and disoriented. He then drove a couple of blocks and sexually assaulted her in the backseat, she said, before she escaped and ran home.

Her brother, who was 18 at the time, saw calls from Dirie on his sister’s phone that she was not answering. She told her brother they were from her rapist.

When Dirie called again, her brother answered but did not speak. Dirie said, “When can I see you again?”

The brother hung up and started texting with Dirie through Snapchat , pretending to be his sister. Dirie made a reference to seeing the girl and bringing condoms.

Dirie soon arrived and saw the brother and the girl’s stepfather in the living room. He tried to flee, but the brother blocked his path and called 911. Police showed up and arrested Dirie.