Man wanted in SoHo hotel death may be multi-state serial attacker, police say
NEW YORK -- The suspect wanted in connection to the murder of a woman in a SoHo hotel has been arrested in Arizona, where police say he is charged in two stabbings.
Raad Almansoori, 26, is wanted in the death of Denisse Oleas-Arancibia, 38, who was found earlier this month at SoHo 54 Hotel on Watts Street sometime on either February 7 or 8. A broken iron was recovered at the scene and bits of plastic were embedded in the victim's skull, detectives said.
Investigators believe the suspect put the victim's leggings on because his own jeans, which police found in the room, had blood on them.
According to the NYPD, Almansoori made statements while in custody in Arizona linking himself to a string of assaults on women, including the stabbings in Surprise and Phoenix, an attack in Florida and the deadly attack in the New York City hotel. Several of those crimes involve women who work as escorts.
"He tells the cops they should Google SoHo 54 Hotel," NYPD Chief of Detectives Joe Kenny said. Almansoori also made statements about hurting as many as three women in Florida, Kenny said.
Detectives are now looking at unsolved crimes in Florida and Texas, where Almansoori has lived and has prior arrests, including the kidnapping and sexual assault of a female.
"The majority of arrests involve domestic violence and assault," Kenny said.
Almansoori is believed to have arrived in New York City in late January, when credit card information shows he visited an escort in upper Manhattan. Later credit card use shows the purchase of a plane ticket to Arizona where he allegedly committed two crimes.
Police say in one of those incidents in Arizona, he tried to steal a woman's car outside a Starbucks and stabbed her multiple times.
In another incident, police say he is a suspect in a stabbing at a McDonald's on Sunday morning. Authorities in Scottsdale said they arrested him in a stolen car hours later.
"The very next day in Surprise, Arizona, he dragged a female employee of a McDonald's into the ladies room, held her against her will and stabbed her several times," said Kenny.
No charges have been filed in the SoHo incident.
The family of Oleas-Arancibia has declined to speak to Eyewitness News but indicated online that she will be laid to rest in her native of Ecuador.
Police say she had no criminal record, but believe she was working as an escort when she met her killer.
"It seems that there was a dispute over the time he was allowed to stay in the room," said Kenny. "And that's what caused the outburst, which caused the attack."
Almansoori was actually out on bail after an arrest last year in Sumter County, Florida.
The Manhattan District Attorney's Office has sent prosecutors to Maricopa County, Arizona, to seek Almansoori's extradition, however it appears the district attorney there wants to try its cases first, so extradition may be off the table for now.
Kenny said the NYPD is working with the FBI and asking the public and members of law enforcement to come forward with information.
Anyone who thinks they may have encountered Almansoori is asked to call Crime Stoppers at 1-800-577-TIPS.
RELATED | NYPD searching for man who left SoHo hotel wearing murder victim's leggings
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