Rochester Woman Pleads Guilty To Accessory After The Fact In St. Paul Arsons, Helping Husband Escape Country

MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) -- A 23-year-old Rochester woman has pleaded guilty to helping her husband escape the country after he allegedly set fire to multiple St. Paul businesses during the unrest last year.

According to the U.S. Attorney's Office for the District of Minnesota, Mena Yousif and her husband, 35-year-old Jose Felan, were in St. Paul on May 28, 2020. There, Felan allegedly set fire to multiple businesses on University Avenue, including the Goodwill retail store, the Gordon Parks High School, and the 7 Mile Sportswear store.

In the following week, Yousif helped her husband as he fled to Texas, before crossing the border into Mexico.

"Yousif traveled with Felan and assisted his escape by destroying evidence and providing false information to law enforcement," the attorney's office said in a release.

The couple was arrested in February after eight months on the run and returned to the United States. Yousif pleaded guilty on Thursday to being an accessory to arson after the fact.

RELATED: After 8 Months On The Run, Couple Wanted For Arson During Unrest Captured In Mexico

Felan currently faces three counts of arson.