Hunter
02/04/26
An area transient was arrested for meth possession and allegedly causing an explosion at the Iowa City WET shelter.
The incident occurred at around 5:30am December 4th. 44-year-old Abdiqani Haji Mohamud was at the Winter Extreme Temperature Center on Southgate Avenue when firefighters were called to respond to a reported explosion and possible fire in the bathroom of the shelter. Upon arrival, crews found only smoke visible in the bathroom.
As the smoke cleared, officers entered the bathroom and encountered charred spatter on the wall, sinks and mirrors. In one of the stalls, a partially destroyed and melted backpack was reportedly located, containing toiletries, a speaker, a burnt butane torch lighter, and other personal items. An exploded butane canister was later found and believed to be the cause of the explosion.
Haji Mohamud was present and told officers the backpack was his.
He agreed to accompany officers to the police station and was told he’d be patted down before getting into the squad car, which he reportedly understood. A small baggie was located in his right sock allegedly containing a powdery white substance that Haji Mohamud confirmed was methamphetamine.
He later told police that he had been smoking meth in the bathroom just before the explosion. He believed that the lighter he put back in the backpack was still hot and ignited something inside, which eventually caused the butane canister to explode.
A check of Haji Mohamud’s criminal record showed five previous controlled substance convictions and four other drug felonies pending. With an additional controlled substance violation, he now faces a possible prison sentence of up to 25 years.