Arizona Prosecutor Refuses to Extradite Murder Suspect to New York

The Maricopa County attorney alluded to fears that the Manhattan district attorney would release the suspect into the community.

Arizona prosecutor Rachel Mitchell asks questions of Christine Blasey Ford at the Senate Judiciary Committee hearing on the nomination of Brett Kavanaugh to be an associate justice of the Supreme Court of the United States, on Capitol Hill in Washington on Sept. 27, 2018. Michael Reynolds-Pool/Getty Images

A county prosecutor in Arizona won’t be extraditing a murder suspect to New York City because of Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg’s handling of violent offenders, she told local media at a news conference on Feb. 21.

“I know there’s been discussion about New York wanting to extradite this individual,” said Maricopa County Attorney Rachel Mitchell, a Republican. “This is not aimed at the New York Police Department at all. I know they did a hard job and they did a good job, but we will not be agreeing to extradition.”

She instructed her staff not to participate in facilitating the extradition of 26-year-old Raad Noan Almansoori and said the state would keep the suspect in Arizona, where he will be held without bond.

Mr. Almansoori is wanted in New York for the murder of 38-year-old Denisse Oleas-Arancibia, who was found dead in a Manhattan hotel room on Feb. 8. He is accused of stabbing two women in Arizona and was previously arrested in Florida on charges of kidnapping and sexual assault, NBC News reported.

“Having observed the treatment of violent criminals in the New York area by the Manhattan D.A. there, Alvin Bragg, I think it’s safer to keep him here and keep him in custody so that he cannot be out doing this to individuals, either in our state or county or anywhere in the United States,” Ms. Mitchell said.

Mr. Bragg has been criticized for “soft on crime” progressive policies and a perceived unwillingness to prosecute or incarcerate violent criminals.

Earlier in February, Mr. Bragg said that he didn’t have enough evidence to hold a group of illegal immigrants who were filmed during an assault on New York Police Department (NYPD) officers, so they were released without bail.

‘Probable Cause’

A spokesperson for Mr. Bragg told NBC News that it’s “deeply disturbing” that Ms. Mitchell is “playing political games in a murder investigation.” Emily Tuttle said it’s offensive to New York law enforcement.

“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,” she said.

NYPD Chief of Detectives Joseph Kenny told reporters at a news conference on Feb. 20 that police had probable cause to arrest Mr. Almansoori for the murder of Ms. Oleas-Arancibia.

“The subject has no prior arrest history in New York. However, he has an extensive out-of-state arrest history,” Mr. Kenny said. “He has been previously arrested in Florida, Texas, and Arizona.”

In April 2023, Mr. Almansoori was arrested in Sumter County, Florida, for the alleged kidnapping and sexual assault of a female, but he later posted bail and was released.

“On Feb. 17, 2024, just nine days after our victim was discovered in New York City, he committed a knife-point carjacking in Phoenix, Arizona, where he stabbed his female victim,” Mr. Kenny said. “He managed to escape that scene. The very next day, in Surprise, Arizona, he dragged a female employee of a McDonald’s into a ladies’ room, held her against her will, and stabbed her several times.”

This time, the suspect was arrested in Scottsdale, Arizona, while driving a stolen car, Mr. Kenny said. While in custody, he confessed to being wanted for homicide in New York City and told police that they “should Google SoHo 54 Hotel.”