A man accused of brutally killing a woman in SoHo and suspected of attacking others in multiple states has refused extradition back to New York, causing a delay amidst a slew of violent charges. Raad Almansoori, 26, who is also accused in separate stabbing attacks on two women in Phoenix, told an Arizona courtroom he would not waive extradition, per FOX 10 Phoenix. The suspect is currently held without bond, facing attempted murder among other charges.
The Arizona case has to be resolved before Almansoori can be turned over to New York authorities, where he is suspected of the February 8 murder of Denisse Oleas-Arancibia in a Manhattan hotel. An extradition warrant issued by the Arizona governor would act as a hold, but local charges are to take precedence, explained the Maricopa County Attorney's Office. Almansoori's alleged rampage continued after he fled New York to Arizona, where police say he carjacked a vehicle at knifepoint and then stabbed a woman multiple times in a McDonald's bathroom in Surprise, according to FOX 10 Phoenix.
Almansoori, who has an extensive criminal history across New York, Florida, Arizona, and Texas, has shown a pattern of behavior that targets women, a troubling trend that is under close examination. The NYPD, working alongside the FBI, is alerting departments across the country to investigate potential crimes linked to Almansoori. The February murder victim, Oleas-Arancibia, was found beside a bloody iron, having been beaten and strangled, as confirmed by the NYC medical examiner.
Emily Tuttle, a spokesperson for the Manhattan District Attorney's Office, expressed their commitment to bring Almansoori back for prosecution, stating, "We are proceeding as we do in each and every case involving an out-of-state arrest: following the facts and the law to ensure justice is served." While an Arizona judge has laid out the jurisdictional complexities, the clash between county authorities in Arizona and those in Manhattan reflects broader tensions on criminal justice approaches, an angle not lost on those tracking the case closely.
