The fate of a suspected murderer is in the middle of a feud between Arizona's Maricopa County attorney and the Manhattan district attorney.

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Simone Del Rosario Business Correspondent

U.S.

AZ attorney won’t extradite NYC murder suspect, says DA too soft on criminals

Feb 23

Simone Del Rosario Business Correspondent

By Simone Del Rosario (Business Correspondent), Alex Peebles (Producer), Zachary Hill (Editor)

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Arizona and New York are at a crossroads between crime and politics. The fate of a suspected murderer is in the middle of a feud between Arizona’s Maricopa County attorney and the Manhattan district attorney.

Maricopa County Attorney Rachel Mitchell, a Republican, is refusing to extradite murder suspect Raad Almansoori, 26. Police said Almansoori confessed to killing a woman in a Manhattan hotel then fled to Arizona where he allegedly stabbed two more women before being arrested.

“Having observed the treatment of violent criminals in the New York area by the Manhattan DA there, Alvin Bragg, I think it is safer to keep him here and keep him in custody,” Mitchell told reporters at a press conference on Wednesday, Feb. 21.

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Mitchell said she directed her team not to cooperate with the Manhattan DA’s office, saying that Bragg, a Democrat, is too soft on criminals. Mitchell added she does not want Almansoori on the streets.

In a press conference on Thursday, Feb. 22, Bragg called the move politically motivated.

“It is deeply disturbing to me that a member of my profession, a member of law enforcement, would choose to play political games in a murder case,” Bragg said.

Bragg went on to say that since he was elected prosecutor, the murder rate in Manhattan has gone down 38% and is lower than that of Maricopa County, home to Arizona’s largest city, Phoenix.

“County DA Mitchell has — I don’t know how else to say it — has gotten it wrong at every single term,” Bragg said.

Mitchell maintained that her decision not to send Almansoori to New York is about keeping the public safe; it’s not political, and it is not aimed at the work done by New York City police.

However, according to a report done by Fox 10 Phoenix, Mitchell’s attack on New York may have been misguided in this case.

According to the report, in 2023, Almansoori was arrested and facing serious charges in Florida for allegedly attacking a woman.

However, the Florida state attorney’s office reportedly dropped most charges because of insufficient evidence. Almansoori’s bail in that case was set at $2,500.

One of Almansoori’s alleged victims said the murder in New York and the attacks in Arizona should have never happened.

“He said, before he started strangling me: ‘Scream and I’ll kill you,'” the woman 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 currently in custody in Arizona, and he is being held without bond.

Tags: Alvin Bragg, Arizona, Crime, Florida, Manhattan, Maricopa County, New York, New York City

[SIMONE DEL ROSARIO]

ARIZONA AND NEW YORK ARE AT A CROSSROAD BETWEEN CRIME AND POLITICS. THE FATE OF A SUSPECTED MURDERER IS AT THE MIDDLE OF A FEUD BETWEEN ARIZONA’S MARICOPA COUNTY ATTORNEY AND THE MANHATTAN DISTRICT ATTORNEY.

SUPER: RACHEL MITCHELL – MARICOPA COUNTY DISTRICT ATTORNEY: “HAVING OBSERVED THE TREATMENT OF VIOLENT CRIMINALS IN THE NEW YORK AREA BY THE MANHATTAN DA THERE ALVAN BRAGG I THINK IT IS SAFER TO KEEP HIM HERE AND KEEP HIM IN CUSTODY.”

[SIMONE DEL ROSARIO]

MARICOPA COUNTY ATTORNEY RACHEL MITCHELL, A REPUBLICAN, IS REFERRING TO MURDER SUSPECT RAAD ALMANSOORI – WHO POLICE SAY CONFESSED TO KILLING A WOMAN IN A NEW YORK CITY HOTEL ROOM BEFORE FLEEING TO ARIZONA, WHERE HE ALLEGEDLY STABBED TWO MORE WOMEN BEFORE HIS ARREST.

SURPRISE ARIZONA POLICE CHIEF BENNY PIÑA: “NEW YORK POLICE DEPARTMENT WAS CONTACTED AND CONFIRMED THE INCIDENT AND THAT ALMANSOORI WAS A SUSPECT. THROUGH COMMUNICATION WITH THAT DEPARTMENT THE SURPRISE POLICE DETECTIVE WAS ABLE TO OBTAIN A FULL CONFESSION.”

[SIMONE DEL ROSARIO]

THAT’S WHERE THE COLLABORATION APPEARS TO END. MITCHELL ANNOUNCED SHE DIRECTED HER TEAM NOT TO COOPERATE WITH THE MANHATTAN DA’S OFFICE. SHE SAYS DA ALVIN BRAGG – A DEMOCRAT – IS TOO SOFT ON CRIMINALS, ADDING SHE DOES NOT WANT ALMANSOORI TO END UP ON THE STREETS.

IN A PRESS CONFERENCE ON THURSDAY BRAGG CALLED THE MOVE POLITICALLY MOTIVATED.

ALVIN BRAGG: “IT IS DEEPLY DISTURBING TO ME THAT A MEMBER OF MY PROFESSION, A MEMBER OF LAW ENFORCEMENT WOULD CHOOSE TO PLAY POLITICAL GAMES IN A MURDER CASE.”

[SIMONE DEL ROSARIO]

BRAGG SAYS SINCE HE WAS ELECTED PROSECUTOR 2 YEARS AGO, THE MURDER RATE IN MANHATTAN HAS GONE DOWN 38%, AND IS LOWER THAN THAT OF MARICOPA COUNTY. WHICH IS HOME TO ARIZONA’S LARGEST CITY, PHOENIX.

ALVIN BRAGG: “COUNTY DA MITCHELL HAS, I DONT KNOW HOW ELSE TO SAY IT, HAS GOTTEN IT WRONG AT EVERY EVERY SINGLE TERM.”

[SIMONE DEL ROSARIO]

MITCHELL MAINTAINS HER DECISION NOT TO SEND ALMANSOORI TO NEW YORK IS ABOUT KEEPING THE PUBLIC SAFE. SHE SAYS IT’S NOT POLITICAL, AND IT IS NOT AIMED AT THE WORK DONE BY NEW YORK CITY POLICE.

BUT ACCORDING TO A REPORT BY FOX 10 PHOENIX, MITCHELL’S ATTACK ON NEW YORK MAY BE MISGUIDED IN THIS CASE.

ACCORDING TO THE REPORT, IN 20-23 ALMANSOORI WAS ARRESTED AND FACING SERIOUS CHARGES IN FLORIDA FOR ALLEGEDLY ATTACKING A WOMAN…

BUT THE FLORIDA STATE ATTORNEY’S OFFICE DROPPED MOST OF THE CHARGES, REPORTEDLY BECAUSE OF INSUFFICIENT EVIDENCE. ALMANSOORI’S BAIL WAS SET AT 25-HUNDRED DOLLARS.

THE ALLEGED VICTIM…

VICTIM: “HE SAID, BEFORE HE STARTED STRANGLING ME: “SCREAM AND I’LL KILL YOU.””

[SIMONE DEL ROSARIO]

SAYS THE MURDER IN NEW YORK AND THE ATTACKS IN ARIZONA SHOULD HAVE NEVER HAPPENED.

VICTIM: “IT BREAKS MY HEART FOR THE OTHER WOMEN INVOLVED, FOR THE FAMILIES OF THOSE WOMEN INVOLVED, WHEN ALL OF THIS COULD HAVE BEEN PREVENTED.”

[SIMONE DEL ROSARIO]

ALMANSOORI IS CURRENTLY BEHIND BARS IN ARIZONA AND IS BEING HELD WITHOUT BOND.