Raad Almansoori, 26, murdered Denisse Oleas-Arancibia during a robbery, prosecutors said.
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Almansoori is currently jailed in Maricopa County, Arizona, where he is charged in two stabbings and pleaded not guilty. He will be prosecuted in Arizona before he is brought to New York to face the murder charges.
"With this indictment, we are one step closer to securing justice for Denisse Oleas-Arancibia," said Manhattan 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."
The case touched off a political spat between Maricopa County Attorney Rachel Mitchell, a Republican, and Bragg, a Democrat. She balked at sending Almansoori to New York before he is tried in Arizona, saying Bragg is too soft on crime.
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"Having observed the treatment of violent criminals in the New York area by the Manhattan DA there, Alvin Bragg, it's safer to keep him here," Mitchell said.
Bragg accused Mitchell of "old-fashioned grandstanding and politics."
"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," he said.
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