Abou-Arab son, 34, is arraigned

Defendant’s father is accused in 2 firefighters’ deaths

Omar Abou-Arab is taken into custody after his arraignment in Lucas County Common Pleas Court on charges of selling synthetic marijuana. He was later released on his own recognizance.

THE BLADE/AMY E. VOIGT
Buy This Image

Omar Abou-Arab is taken into custody after his arraignment in Lucas County Common Pleas Court on charges of selling synthetic marijuana. He was later released on his own recognizance.

The son of a man accused of setting a fire that killed two city firefighters was arraigned Monday in Lucas County Common Pleas Court on unrelated synthetic drug charges.

Omar Abou-Arab, 34, of 3552 Lynnbrooke Lane, Oregon, was ordered by Judge Stacy Cook to be booked into the Lucas County jail and then released on his own recognizance for two counts of complicity in the commission of trafficking in a controlled substance.

Ray Abou Arab.

The judge also ordered Mr. Abou-Arab to submit to drug screening. He is to appear in court April 7.

His father, Ray Abou-Arab, 61, of 1311 Sierra Dr. is charged with two counts of trafficking in a controlled substance.

The drug-related indictment against the pair states a customer went into the Fassett Mini Mart looking for XLR-11, a synthetic marijuana. The younger Mr. Abou-Arab directed the customer to a nearby cellular-phone store, where the elder Abou-Arab sold the synthetic marijuana, officials said.

The elder Abou-Arab is to appear in court Thursday for the drug-related charges.

He also is accused of setting a Jan. 26 fire at 528 Magnolia St., an apartment building owned by the older Abou-Arab. Two firefighters, Stephen Machcinski, 42, and Jamie Dickman, 31, died in that fire.