Rochester woman pleads guilty related to May 2020 arson in St. Paul
Jose Felan Jr., left, and Mena Dyaha Yousif[Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives]
A Rochester woman pleaded guilty Thursday to being an accessory after the fact to arson related to riots in May 2020.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office announced last week that Jose Angel Felan Jr., 35, set several St. Paul buildings along University Avenue on fire — including Goodwill, Gordon Parks High School and 7 Mile Sportswear — on May 28, 2020. His 23-year-old wife, Mena Dhaya Yousif, aided and abetted him as he fled to Texas and then crossed the border into Mexico. Yousif aided Felan during his flight by traveling with him, destorying evidence and feeding false information to law enforcement.
The couple were arrested in February by Mexican authorities and extradited to the U.S. to face charges.
The FBI; Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives; St. Paul police and fire; and the Minnesota State Fire Marshal Division worked together on the investigation. The U.S. Marshals Service led fugitive apprehension. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Emily Polachek and Melinda A. Williams are prosecuting the case.