NEW YORK (1010 WINS/WCBS 880) — The Manhattan District Attorney’s Office announced on Friday the indictment of Raad Almansoori, which charges him in the high-profile murder of a Queens woman at a SoHo hotel in February, as prosecutors pursue having him extradited from Arizona where he is in custody for allegedly stabbing two women in the state.
Almansoori, 26, is charged with first-degree murder, second-degree murder and two counts of first-degree robbery in relation to the Feb. 7 killing of Denisse Oleas-Arancibia, 38.
Almansoori is accused of killing Oleas-Arancibia, a mother from Queens, during the course of a robbery at the SoHo 54 Hotel on 54 Watts St.
“With this indictment, we are one step closer to securing justice for Denisse Oleas-Arancibia,” said District Attorney Alvin Bragg. “Our professional, dedicated prosecutors and investigators will continue to build the strongest possible case, and we will be prepared to prosecute Raad Almansoori for these horrific allegations when he is returned to New York.”
Less than two weeks after the murder, Almansoori was arrested in Scottsdale, Arizona, for allegedly stabbing one woman during a carjacking and the next day forcing another woman into a McDonald’s bathroom and stabbing her.
Once arrested, Almansoori was linked to the Manhattan murder by statements he made to investigators, NYPD Chief of Detectives Joe Kenny said at the time. But Arizona prosecutors announced soon after Almansoori’s arrest that they would not agree to extradite him to New York.
Maricopa County Attorney Rachel Mitchell pointed to Bragg’s record handling violent crime as the reason.
“We’re gonna keep him here,” Mitchell said at a Feb. 21 press conference. “These are mandatory prison sentences. Having observed the treatment of violent criminals in the New York area by the Manhattan DA there, Alvin Bragg, I think it’s safer to keep him here and keep him in custody.”
In Friday's indictment announcement, the district attorney’s office stated that it will finalize the necessary materials to formally request that Gov. Kathy Hochul issue a warrant for Almansoori.
Prosecutors said that they expect the warrant to act as a detainer, and that Almansoori will remain in custody until he returns for prosecution in New York following the Arizona case, regardless of the outcome.
“My heart is with the family and loved ones of Ms. Oleas-Arancibia during this difficult time as they continue to mourn their loss, as well as the victims of Almansoori’s alleged crimes in Maricopa County,” Bragg said Friday.