Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg’s office fired back on Wednesday after an Arizona prosecutor said she would not extradite alleged SoHo murderer Raad Almansoori back to New York, claiming the Big Apple is too soft on criminals.
The shocking revelation came 24 hours after NYPD brass announced the arrest of Almansoori, who had wanted for the brutal bludgeoning 38-year-old mom Denisse Oleas-Arancibia to death with an iron. The attack was so heinous, pieces of plastic were found lodged inside her head.
On Tuesday, NYPD Chief of Detectives said cops were working with their partners in the Grand Canyon State to have Almansoori expedited back to New York to have him face justice for the slaying. But at a Wednesday press conference, Maricopa County Attorney Rachel Mitchell refused to do so while taking shots at Bragg and the city’s criminal justice system.
“Having observed the treatment of violent criminals in the New York area by the Manhattan DA there, Alvin Bragg,” Mitchell said during a press conference. “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, county or anywhere in the United States.”
Almansoori was arrested in Arizona after he stabbed a woman during a carjacking and then dragged another female McDonald’s employee into a bathroom and stabbed her as well.
He dragged a female employee of the McDonald’s into the lady’s room, held her against her will, and stabbed her several times,” Chief Kenny said. “He was arrested in Scottsdale, AZ while driving a stolen car. While in the custody of Arizona law enforcement, he informs them that he’s wanted for homicide in New York City and tells the cops that they should Google the SoHo 54 Hotel.”
Authorities believe Almansoori to be a serial offender with a hatred of women, and who flies into fits of rage at a moment’s notice. The SoHo murder case drew headlines across the country after the suspect was seen in surveillance video fleeing the hotel wearing his victim’s leggings, leaving his blood-covered pants behind.
But Bragg’s office charged that Mitchell was “playing political games” with the case.
“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,” spokesperson Emily Tuttle said in a statement. “New York’s murder rate is less than half that of Phoenix, AZ, 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.”
Bragg’s office also shared a graphic that cites Phoenix, Arizona has a homicide rate of 11.6 while New York has 5.4 in 2022, according to AmericanViolence.org.
In her statements Wednesday, Mitchell insisted that her refusal to extradite was not aimed specifically at the NYPD.
“This is not aimed at the New York Police Department at all. I know they did a hard job, they did a good job, but we will not be agreeing to extradition,” Mitchell added. “I’ve instructed my extradition attorneys not to agree to that. We’re going to keep him here.”
Were he to be extradited to New York, Almansoori as a murder suspect would more than likely be detained through the conclusion of his trial. Murder charges are “bail-eligible” offenses in New York, meaning that a judge would either require a charged individual to pay a very high bail for their pre-trial release, or order them indefinitely detained.
Judges, not prosecutors, have the final say on bail at New York arraignments.
