Surprise, Ariz. – The extradition of Raad Almansoori, the man accused of murdering a woman in SoHo, is currently being contested by Maricopa County Attorney Rachel Mitchell. Almansoori is currently being held in Arizona, where he has been charged with stabbing two women. The Manhattan District Attorney, Alvin Bragg, is seeking to bring Almansoori to New York to face charges for the SoHo murder, but Mitchell has instructed her extradition attorneys not to agree to that request.
Mitchell expressed her lack of trust in the Manhattan DA, stating that she believes it is safer to keep Almansoori in Arizona, away from the possibility of committing further crimes. However, the Manhattan District Attorney’s office finds Mitchell’s comments “deeply disturbing” and accuses her of playing political games in a murder investigation.
During a news conference, it was revealed that Almansoori had admitted to killing someone in New York earlier in the month. The NYPD believes that he was responsible for the attack on 38-year-old Denisse Oleas-Arancibia at a SoHo hotel. Additionally, Almansoori is also accused of sexually assaulting a woman in Florida in April.
The frustration with the legal system was expressed by Leah Palian, who was present during the assault in Florida and lamented the dropping of charges against Almansoori. Prosecutors in Orange County, Fla. have stated that there was insufficient evidence to proceed with the sexual assault and aggravated assault charges, and Almansoori was released on bail in September.
Despite the opposition from Maricopa County Attorney Rachel Mitchell, New York has the option to file for extradition. Meanwhile, Oleas-Aranciba’s family is grieving her loss and the NYPD is collaborating with the FBI to determine if Almansoori has any connection to other crimes.