Man accused of threatening to burn down Baltimore mosque before fire

A 52-year-old man allegedly threatened to burn down a Baltimore mosque in text messages to a member before a fire engulfed the building on Oct. 25, according to charging documents obtained by CBS News Baltimore.

Shawn Fenner was denied bond Tuesday on charges including second-degree arson, first-degree malicious burning and threat of arson in connection with the fire.

Baltimore police officers and firefighters responded around 5 p.m. to a fire at a mosque in the 2600 block of Harford Road. The building was fully engulfed when emergency crews arrived.

Firefighters extinguished the blaze, and officers took Fenner into custody at the scene after two witnesses identified him, according to charging documents.

Before the fire, Fenner sent text messages to a mosque member that included a photo of a red gas can, the documents said. Police noted that a partially visible shoe in the photo appeared to match the shoes Fenner was wearing when he was taken into custody.

Fenner had previously stayed at the mosque but was no longer permitted on the property, according to charging documents. He later sent another text message demanding the return of a set of keys and threatening to burn down the property if they were not returned, the documents said.

Police also used a canine that alerted to the possible presence of an ignitable fluid on Fenner's shoes, according to the documents.

Abdul Muhaimin Abdullah, the mosque's assistant imam, told CBS News Baltimore that he believes Fenner had been struggling with mental health issues.

"I was told that he was an OK gentleman. Now we recognize that he has some mental issues and unfortunately we couldn't assist in a time that we could have if we were informed to get him the proper help," Abdullah said.

The mosque was empty at the time of the fire. The blaze caused an estimated $85,000 in damage.