SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. — A man who law enforcement officials call a "violent criminal" was arrested in Scottsdale on Feb. 18 after police say he stabbed a McDonald's employee in the neck before leaving the scene in a stolen car.
On Friday, Scottsdale police released a video of officers arresting 26-year-old Raad Almansoori after tracking down the stolen car.
Officers would soon learn that Almansoori allegedly committed other violent crimes in the days before the stabbing at McDonald's.
While in police custody, police say Almansoori admitted to killing Denisse Oleas-Arancibia in New York City, telling Arizona police to Google "SoHo 54 Hotel." They also believe they have the suspect on surveillance video exiting the hotel wearing Oleas-Arancibia’s leggings after having discarded his blood-soaked pants in the hotel room.
He also allegedly stabbed a Starbucks employee in Phoenix the day before the McDonald's stabbing in Surprise, police said.
Police have also said they’re looking into whether there are other alleged victims elsewhere in the country.
Fight over extradition
In a news conference a few days after Almansoori was arrested in Arizona, Maricopa County's top prosecutor Rachel Mitchell said Arizona would not extradite the suspect to face murder charges in New York until he faced his lesser charges here.
Mitchell, a Republican, criticized the progressive policies of Manhattan’s top prosecutor, Alvin Bragg, who is a Democrat, and suggested his record on crime is reason enough for denying New York’s extradition request.
Bragg’s office hasn’t made a formal extradition request but said Thursday that it will decide after Almansoori tells a court in the coming days whether he consents or intends to fight such a request.
Either way, Mitchell said she would oppose such a move because she believes keeping Almansoori behind bars in her county is safer.
RELATED: NYC attorney claps back at Maricopa County attorney's remarks on homicide suspect extradition
“Having observed the treatment of violent criminals in the New York area by Manhattan DA Alvin Bragg,” she said, “I think it’s safer to keep him here and keep him in custody so that he cannot be out there doing this to individuals either in our state, county, or anywhere in the United States.”
Bragg's office fired back that Mitchell was “playing political games in a murder investigation,” calling it a “slap in the face” to the victims in both states.
But Mitchell’s office has said other jurisdictions can’t legally claim a defendant until after their cases are completed in Arizona.
“This applies to every fugitive case when the defendant is found/arrested in Arizona,” the office wrote in an email, citing a state law dealing with criminal prosecution. “All pending criminal matters in Arizona are to be resolved first before extradition to the outside state occurs.”
Up to Speed
Catch up on the latest news and stories on the 12News YouTube channel. Subscribe today.