Feb. 21 (UPI) — A 26-year-old man accused of bludgeoning a woman to death in a Manhattan hotel room earlier this month has been arrested in Arizona where he is accused of attacking two more women, according to authorities who raised worries that he may have additional victims.
Raad Almansoori is believed to be behind the murder of Denisse Oleas-Arancibia, 38, whose body was found Feb. 8 by staff in her room at the SoHo 54 Hotel in Manhattan.
Police had been hunting for him until he was arrested Sunday while driving a stolen car more than 2,400 miles away in Arizona where he is accused of stabbing a McDonald’s employee in the restaurant’s bathroom and carjacking another woman at knifepoint.
Authorities in New York City on Tuesday called on the public nationwide to contact law enforcement if they have seen Almansoori in their communities so officers can inspect potential connections to additional attacks.
“Anywhere that he’s visited there’s potential that there are other victims around the country,” NYPD Deputy Commissioner of Public Information Tarik Sheppard told reporters Tuesday during a press conference, “and we want to do our due diligence and make sure that we let communities around the country know that they should be aware of who this person is.”
New York Police Chief of Detectives Joseph Kenny told reporters Tuesday that he is accused of killing Oleas-Arancibia, whom he identified as an escort, sometime between 2:14 p.m. on Feb. 7 and 10:30 a.m. on Feb. 8 when employees of the hotel found her dead on the floor of her room.
He said the cause of death was blunt force trauma to the head, stating a broken iron was found in the room and that pieces of plastic were removed from her skull.
Their investigation uncovered that Almansoori seemed to have been in a dispute with Oleas-Arancibia over the time he was allowed to stay in her hotel room before she was murdered, Kenny said.
Days later, he is believed to have flown from New York to Arizona where on Saturday he is accused of attempting to carjack a woman and was able to escape the scene. The woman was transported to a local hospital where she is recovering, authorities said.
The next day, the police department in Surprise, Ariz., which is northwest of Phoneix, were called to a McDonald’s near West Greenway and North Reems Roads at about 8:30 a.m. to find a woman suffering from multiple stab wounds.
Kenny said the woman was an employee at the fast food restaurant and that she was dragged into the women’s restroom where she was stabbed multiple times.
Officers began searching for Almansoori, who was later apprehended in Scottsdale driving a stolen car, the Surprise Police Department said in a statement.
Kenny told reporters that Almansoori told police in Arizona that he was wanted for murder in New York City.
“Google SoHo 54 Hotel,” Kenny said Almansoori had told police.
He also told police in Arizona that “he hurt three additional girls in Florida,” Kenny said.
Though he has never been arrested in New York, Almansoori has an “extensive” out-of-state criminal record, Kenny said, stating that his recent spree of crimes occurred as he was out on bail since September following an arrest on charges of kidnapping and sexual assault of an escort in Flordia.
According to jail records, Almansoori is being held in Maricopa County on a slew of charges from theft and robbery to homicide.
The police department in Surprise is expected to have a press conference about the case at 10 a.m. Wednesday.
College Football Playoff second-round picks | Before The Snap
Before The Snap takes a close look at the four second-round CFP games and makes straight-up picks.
One spot to the College Football Playoff semifinals has been secured, and three more will follow suit on Wednesday — the first, by way of the Peach Bowl.
Kicking off Wednesday’s triple-header of CFP quarterfinal games is No. 4 Arizona State (11-2) vs. No. 5 Texas (12-2). The teams will kick off from the 2025 Peach Bowl inside Atlanta’s Mercedes-Benz Stadium.
It is the first meeting between the Sun Devils and Longhorns since the 2007 Holiday Bowl, in which Texas came out with a 52-34 victory. It is also the first ever CFP game in Arizona State’s program history.
Arizona State received one of the four first-round byes after beating Iowa State in the Big 12 championship game on Dec. 7. Star running back Cam Skattebo finished with 170 rushing yards and three combined touchdowns in the win over the Cyclones.
Elsewhere, Steve Sarkisian’s Longhorns squad had to beat No. 12 Clemson in the first round of the newly expanded CFP to make it to the quarterfinals. In Texas’ 38-24 win over No. 12 Clemson, the Longhorns relied heavily on their run game and offensive line as they finished with 292 total rushing yards and four rushing touchdowns.
The winner of Wednesday’s game will advance to the CFP Cotton Bowl semifinal, where it will play the winner of No. 1 Oregon vs. No. 8 Ohio State on Friday, Jan. 10.
Here’s how to watch Wednesday’s CFP quarterfinal between Arizona State and Texas, including time, TV schedule, game odds and more:
Watch Texas vs. Arizona State in CFP, Peach Bowl live with Fubo (free trial)
Wednesday’s CFP quarterfinal matchup between Arizona State and Texas will be broadcast nationally on ESPN. Streaming options include the ESPN app (with a TV login) and Fubo, the latter of which carries the ESPN family of networks and offers a free trial to new subscribers.
The Sun Devils and Longhorns are scheduled to kick off at 1 p.m. ET from Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta on Wednesday in the CFP quarterfinals.
Odds courtesy of BetMGM as of Tuesday, Dec. 31
Here is how national media are picking the game:
Here’s a look at Arizona State’s schedule in 2024, including past scores and results:
* Denotes Big 12 game
** Denotes CFP ranking
Here’s a look at Texas’ schedule in 2024, including past scores and results:
* Denotes SEC game
** Denotes CFP ranking
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PHOENIX (AP) — An appeals court has rejected an Arizona official’s argument that felony charges against him for delaying certification of his rural county’s 2022 election results should be dismissed because he has legislative immunity.
In an order Tuesday, the Arizona Court of Appeals concluded Cochise County Supervisor Tom Crosby’s duty to certify the election results wasn’t discretionary. The court also said certifying election results is an administrative responsibility and that legislative immunity doesn’t apply to Crosby’s situation.
Crosby and Cochise County Supervisor Peggy Judd, both Republicans, were criminally charged after they balked at certifying the results. Two months ago, Judd pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor charge of failing to perform her duty as an election officer and was sentenced to probation.
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Crosby has pleaded not guilty to charges of conspiracy and interference with an election officer. His trial is scheduled for Jan. 30.
Dennis Wilenchik, one of Crosby’s lawyers, said his client will ask the state Supreme Court to review the matter. Wilenchik said moving the certification’s date by a few days wasn’t a criminal act and that Crosby should be immunized.
“If it’s just a rubber stamp then why is it (certification) needed at all?” Wilenchik said.
The Cochise County results were ultimately certified past the deadline after a judge ordered Judd and Crosby to carry out their legal duties. Judd and Supervisor Ann English, the board’s lone Democrat, finally approved the canvass, allowing the statewide certification to go forward as scheduled.
Watch The Republic’s coverage of Arizona in 2024
From the Phoenix Open to Election Day, from ‘Gilbert Goon’ violence to ASU’s Big 12 championship, The Republic covered it all in Arizona in 2024.
The Republic
Whether you’re going to a party on New Year’s Eve, hosting one or watching fireworks from home, you’ll probably need to stock up on supplies to celebrate the new year. From a last-minute bottle of champagne to an extra box of sparklers, grocery stores offer a host of New Year’s themed products.
But which Arizona grocery stores are open on New Year’s Eve and New Year’s Day? Some have their regular hours, while some are closed entirely. To make shopping easier, The Arizona Republic put together a guide to the New Year’s hours of major retailers from Costco to Walmart to Fry’s.
AJ’s will be open on New Year’s Eve from 6 a.m. to 9 p.m. (regular hours). On New Year’s Day, AJ’s will be open 7 a.m. – 7 p.m.
Aldi grocery stores will be open from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. on New Year’s Eve and closed on New Year’s Day.
Bashas’ will be open from 6 a.m. to 9 p.m. on New Year’s Eve and 7 a.m. – 7 p.m. on New Year’s.
Costco warehouses will be open from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. on New Year’s Eve and closed on New Year’s Day.
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Food City locations will be open from 7 a.m. to 9 p.m. on both Dec. 31 and Jan. 1.
Fry’s will be open for normal hours on New Year’s Eve and Day.
Sprouts will be open from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. on Dec. 31. It will be open regular hours from 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. on New Year’s Day.
Target will be open from 8 a.m. to 9 p.m. on New Year’s Eve and open its normal hours on Jan. 1.
Trader Joe’s will be open from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. on New Year’s Eve and closed on New Year’s Day.
Walmart stores will be open for normal hours on Dec. 31 and Jan. 1.
Whole Foods will be open 8 a.m. – 9 p.m. on New Year’s Eve and 9 a.m. – 8 p.m. on New Year’s Day.
WinCo Foods will be open 24 hours as usual on Dec. 31 and Jan. 1.
Reach the reporter at reia.li@gannett.com. Follow @Reialirui on X.
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