SURPRISE, Ariz. (Court TV/Scripps News Phoenix/AP) — A man facing charges in New York for allegedly bludgeoning a woman to death in a hotel room won’t be extradited to face charges before standing trial in Arizona, according to the Maricopa County Prosecutor.
Police say this surveillance photo shows a man suspected of attacking women in New York and Arizona. (Crimestoppers via Scripps News Phoenix)
New York City police officials said at a news conference Tuesday that they are seeking to extradite and arrest Raad Almansoori, 26, in the killing of Denisse Oleas-Arancibia, 38. He has not yet been charged. Oleas-Arancibiam was found by staff on the floor of a lower Manhattan hotel room on Feb. 8. Her death was determined to have been caused by blunt force trauma to the head, and a broken iron was found at the scene, police said.
Police in Surprise, Arizona, arrested Almansoori while investigating a stabbing that injured an 18-year-old working at a McDonald’s. The victim’s family told Scripps News Phoenix that the teenager was on her break when the suspect followed her into the bathroom and attacked her. They said her sister, also working at the restaurant that day, rendered aid until medics arrived.
Officers learned a man with long dark hair had just run from the area after that attack. Police started searching for him and got word that a man matching the description reportedly stole a vehicle a few blocks away.
Eventually, the Scottsdale Police Department located the stolen vehicle and took Almansoori into custody as he was allegedly trying to find another victim to attack, police said.
Surprise police officials said that during questioning, Almansoori admitted to his involvement in the stabbing, as well as another stabbing a day prior in Phoenix. In that incident, Phoenix police said officers were called for an armed robbery on Saturday afternoon after Almansoori tried to rob the victim at knifepoint. The woman was taken to a hospital and treated for multiple stab wounds.
Police say his statements to police link him to the attacks in Surprise and Phoenix, the deadly attack in New York, as well as attacks in Florida.
Some of the victims were women who worked as escorts, according to officials.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation is now looking into other unsolved crimes in Florida and New York, and whether he may have been involved.“Anywhere that he’s visited, there is potential that there are other victims around the country,” Deputy Commissioner of Public Information Tarik Sheppard said.
During a press conference with Phoenix and Surprise police Wednesday, Maricopa County Attorney Rachel Mitchell said that Almansoori will face Arizona charges before being extradited to New York. Under Arizona law, the defendant does not have to be released while charges are still pending.
The Manhattan District Attorney responded to Mitchell’s announcement Wednesday with this statement:
“It is deeply disturbing that D.A. Mitchell is playing political games in a murder investigation. In Manhattan, we are serious about New Yorkers’ safety, which is why murders are down 24% and shootings are down 38% since D.A. Bragg took office. New York’s murder rate is less than half that of Phoenix, Arizona, because of the hard work of the NYPD and all of our law enforcement partners. It is a slap in the face to them and to the victim in our case to refuse to allow us to seek justice and full accountability for a New Yorker’s death.”
For now, Almansoori remains in custody in Arizona.
