Grandstanding Arizona prosecutor refuses to extradite suspect for NYC murder
A grandstanding Arizona county district attorney is refusing to extradite the man accused of strangling and bludgeoning a Queens mom sex worker in a SoHo hotel, claiming she fears he could be back on the street under Manhattan D.A. Alvin Bragg’s watch.
Political games, says Bragg’s spokeswoman
During a press conference with Arizona police department heads, Maricopa County District Attorney Rachel Mitchell said she’s instructed her attorneys not to agree to any extradition for murder suspect Raad Almansoori.
“We are going to keep him here,” Mitchell, a Republican, said. “Having observed the treatment of violent criminals in the New York area by the Manhattan D.A. there, Alvin Bragg, it’s safer to keep him here and keep him in custody so he can’t be out doing this to individuals either in our state or county or the United States.”
Bragg was quick to hit back.
“It is deeply disturbing that D.A. Mitchell is playing political games in a murder investigation,” said Emily Tuttle, a spokeswoman for Bragg.
“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.”
Alleged confession to police
After being arrested for two separate non-fatal stabbings of women in Arizona, Almansoori allegedly indicated to police there that he murdered Denisse Oleas-Arancibia, who was found strangled and struck in the head with an iron inside the hotel on Watts St. near Sixth Ave. on Feb. 8.
He encouraged Arizona police to google the SoHo 54 Hotel to learn more about his misdeeds, NYPD Chief of Detectives Joseph Kenny said Tuesday.
NYPD detectives identified Almansoori as a suspect with help from a Burger King receipt found in a pair of bloody men’s pants in the hotel room. But he had already flown to Arizona, where he allegedly attacked women in Phoenix and Surprise, AZ.
During interviews with police after his Arizona arrest, Almansoori said he “intended to find and harm more individuals in our community,” Scottsdale AZ Chief of Police Jeff Walther said Wednesday.
Using license plate readers in their area, Scottsdale police tracked the stolen car to a parking garage at the Scottsdale Fashion Square Mall on Sunday, where “thousands of people” were shopping, Walther said.
Walther believes Almansoori had intended to harm someone at the mall before he was apprehended.
“Without a doubt we stopped someone from being harmed and stopped him from continuing his path of destruction,” Walther said.
Prosecutors critiqued for releasing violent offenders
Bragg’s prosecutors have been criticized for being allegedly soft on seeking bail and jail time for suspects facing violent offenses. Most recently, four migrants accused of beating an NYPD lieutenant and an officer outside a Times Square shelter were initially let go without bail, infuriating police unions.
An email request for comment from the Manhattan DA’s office on the Almansoori case was not immediately returned.
Facing charges in two states
Almansoori is currently facing charges of attempted murder, aggravated assault, and theft for the Surprise stabbing, as well as robbery, assault, theft, and criminal damage in the Phoenix attack.
He is currently being held without bond, Mitchell said. “There is no amount of money that he can post to get out of custody at this point,” she said.