Charge: Brother set a trap at Minneapolis family’s home that put sister’s suspected rapist in jail

A 12-year-old girl’s older brother set a trap and snared a man who is now jailed on allegations that he grabbed the little sister from the family’s Minneapolis backyard and raped her, according to a criminal complaint.

Qalinle Ibrahim Dirie, 41, of Minneapolis, was charged Wednesday in Hennepin County District Court with first-degree criminal sexual conduct in connection with the assault on June 5.

Dirie appeared in court Thursday afternoon and remains jailed in lieu of $100,000 bail and of another hearing scheduled for Aug. 29. Messages were left with his attorney seeking a response to the allegations. His criminal history does not include other sexual assault or other serious convictions.

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 the evidence was sent to the state 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 the girl 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.

The girl’s brother, who is 18, saw on Monday multiple calls from Dirie on the girl’s phone that she was not answering. She told her brother those were from the man who raped her.

Dirie called again, and the brother answered but did not speak. Dirie said, “Hey, beautiful. I miss you when can I see you again?” the complaint quoted him as saying.

The brother hung up and started texting through Snapchat with Dirie, 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 waiting in the living room. Dirie tried to flee, but the brother blocked his path and called 911. Police showed up and arrested Dirie.

At first, Dirie denied knowing the girl but later said, “She told me she is 19 years old. I don’t know why.”