EDEN PRAIRIE, MN – A local mother faces serious charges after authorities allege she starved her young son, leading to the child’s death last year in the Minneapolis suburbs.
Saynab Abdullahi Dahir, 35, has been charged with second-degree manslaughter, four counts of child endangerment, and a count of stalking. The charges were filed after her 3-year-old son, Adnan Abdullahi, collapsed in an Eden Prairie park in June 2023 and died in the hospital days later.
Emergency responders reported that the child appeared severely undernourished at the scene. Responders detailed the boy’s visible ribs, swollen joints, underdeveloped limbs, and badly damaged teeth. Authorities noted that medical professionals at the hospital confirmed the diagnosis of severe malnutrition and said Adnan was significantly underweight and dehydrated upon arrival, which contributed to his cardiac arrest.
According to law enforcement, Dahir told police her son had been unwell for a week, refusing to eat solid foods the day before his collapse and acting lethargic. She described believing he was starting to recover, but after she gave him a sip of water at the park, the boy lost consciousness. A bystander called 911 for a cardiac arrest.
Investigators said Dahir brought her children to the beach that day, thinking time outdoors would help her son overcome his illness. However, the medical crisis escalated rapidly, with doctors documenting brain volume loss linked to malnutrition and expressing concerns about his overall condition.
During questioning, Dahir reportedly said Adnan had not eaten for two or three days before the incident and was too weak to play with his siblings at the park. She also acknowledged skipping medical checkups for her children, telling authorities she was “too busy” for regular visits. Hospital staff told police that Dahir interfered with her son’s treatment multiple times, at one point necessitating her removal from the room as she prevented the proper use of medical equipment.
Hospital staff documented further concerning behavior from the mother, who allegedly manipulated her son’s jaw, pressed on his chest, and touched his airway in ways that risked obstructing his breathing. Following repeated violations of medical directives, her visitation with Adnan was restricted to supervised visits only.
Adnan never regained consciousness and was pronounced dead on July 13. His death was attributed to a brain injury from cardiac arrest, amplified by multiple infections, malnutrition, and dehydration. An autopsy found the boy weighed just 25 pounds at the time of his death.
Concerns about the welfare of Adnan’s four siblings prompted police to launch a separate investigation. Court documents revealed statements from the children and their father describing alleged patterns of food deprivation and negative associations with medical professionals. One child claimed their mother would force them to vomit to keep their weight down, sometimes using her hands or objects to induce the reaction. Further allegations included sit-on-stomach punishments and repeated instances of forced vomiting among siblings.
The children reportedly told authorities that these practices had been ongoing for years. Since being placed in their father’s care, all four surviving children were found to be medically underweight but have since shown significant weight gain and improved health, according to medical examinations.
The children’s father, who had recently returned to Minnesota from a lengthy overseas visit, told investigators that he barely recognized his son upon his return due to how much weight the child had lost. He also described his wife’s longstanding reluctance to seek medical treatment for any of the children.
Dahir is currently not listed as an inmate at the Dakota County Jail. She is scheduled to appear in court again on August 6 as the investigation continues.