Raad Almansoori: Cops believe NY hotel murder suspect may be linked to multi-state crimes on women
MANHATTAN, NEW YORK: A man wanted in connection to a suspected murder at a SoHo hotel was behind bars on Tuesday, February 20 in Arizona, and police say he could be responsible for attacking other women nationwide, per ABC 7.
Raad Almansoori, the suspect, has a record of arrests from Arizona, Florida, and Texas. A crucial piece of evidence linking him to the New York crime was an apparent surveillance video showing the suspect wearing distinctive leggings that the police claim belonged to Denisse Oleas-Arancibia, the victim.
What did Almansoori do?
On February 8, 38-year-old Denisse Oleas-Arancibia was found dead inside a room by a SoHo hotel maid. The NYPD says the suspect flew to Arizona after the homicide and allegedly committed more crimes, and police believe there could be other victims around the country.
"Make sure that we let communities around the country know that they should be aware of who this person is," said NYPD Deputy Commissioner of Public Information Tarik Sheppard.
The NYPD made a request that anyone in the public who has interacted with Almansoori give them a call. The 26-year-old was arrested in Arizona after he was alleged to have stabbed two people there. NYPD Chief of Detectives Joseph Kenny stated, "He tells the cops they should Google 'SoHo 54 Hotel,' and that he is wanted for homicide in New York City while he is in the custody of Arizona law enforcement."
But police had been hot on his trail after they say he left a receipt inside a pair of trousers in that hotel room.
According to investigators, the two had communicated before they met at the hotel, and it appears that they disagreed about how long he was permitted to remain in the room. According to police sources, he left the hotel wearing the victim's leggings, since there was blood on his own clothes. According to the NYPD, the suspect has a long history of out-of-state arrests, including one in Florida back in April.
Almansoori's arrest timeline
Police broke down a timeline leading up to Almansoori's latest arrest. On January 26, he allegedly purchased a plane ticket from Florida to New York. According to Police, Almansoori's credit card was used on January 29 in New York City.
Police claim he went to see an escort in Upper Manhattan on February 6. The murder at the SoHo hotel happened within the next two days. He took a plane to Arizona on February 12, where authorities said he committed two more crimes.
"On February 17, 2024, just nine days after our victim was discovered in New York City, he committed a knifepoint carjacking in Phoenix, Arizona, where he stabbed his female victim. He managed to escape that scene," Kenny said. He also attacked a woman in a Surprise, Arizona, McDonald's ladies room the next day.
Almansoori was then arrested, police said, for driving a stolen car.
"Majority of his arrests involved domestic violence and assault," Kenny said. "Anywhere that he's visited, there's potential that there are other victims," he added.
The Manhattan District Attorney's Office sent prosecutors to Arizona to work on extradition. The NYPD is working with the FBI to confirm if he is connected to other crimes.
