Raad Almansoori: Latest on man accused of Arizona stabbings, New York murder

SURPRISE, Ariz. - Surprise Police and other Valley law enforcement agencies held a news conference on Feb. 21, giving the latest information on a man accused of committing a string of crimes across the country, including a stabbing at a McDonald's and the murder of a woman in New York City.

Raad Almansoori, 26, was arrested in connection to the stabbing of a woman at a McDonald's near Greenway and Reems Roads. Almansoori allegedly started pounding on the bathroom stall door inside the fast food restaurant when a female employee went in on the morning of Feb. 18. Court documents state Almansoori climbed under the door and into the bathroom stall and pointed a gun at her, and when she screamed, he stabbed her.

Following the stabbing, Almansoori fled the McDonald's but was arrested near Scottsdale Fashion Square. Investigators believe Almansoori is also responsible for stabbing a woman the day before in Phoenix. He also allegedly confessed to killing 38-year-old Denisse Oleas-Arancibia in Manhattan.

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SoHo hotel murder: Who is Raad Almansoori? A look into his alleged crimes

Raad Almansoori is connected to multiple crimes in New York, Florida, Arizona and Texas. Police said he's wanted for beating and strangling Denisse Oleas-Arancibia to death inside a SoHo hotel room.

Almansoori also has previous arrests in Florida and Texas for kidnapping and sexual assault.

Following his arrest, investigators say Almansoori planned to commit other crimes. Almansoori's DNA was collected and was given to the Arizona Department of Public Safety's crime lab. DPS says they are working to see if his DNA matches any other crimes committed in the country.

'I'll kill you'

Leah Palian says she was one of Almansoori's victims last year. He was accused of sexual battery, assault and holding her against her will. The Florida state attorney's office dropped most of the charges due to insufficient evidence and he was given a $2,500 bond.

"He said before he started strangling me, screaming, 'I'll kill you,'" Palian said. "It breaks my heart for the other women involved, for the families of those women involved, when all of this could have been prevented."

Almansoori is being held in Maricopa County jail without bond. Maricopa County Attorney Rachel Mitchell said Almansoori will not be extradited to New York.

She says Arizona's DA is making the right call to keep him in the state.

"I want to applaud the state prosecutors in Arizona because I think that's amazing. I think that's what Florida should have done and what they screwed up on," she said.

"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," Mitchell said.

In response to Mitchell denying extradition, a spokesperson for Bragg released the following statement: "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. New York's murder rate is less than half that of Phoenix, Arizona, 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."

Surprise Police ask anyone with information on Almansoori to contact them at 623-222-4000.

Map of where the McDonald's stabbing happened