NEW YORK (AP) — A man suspected in the death of a woman who was fatally bludgeoned in a New York City hotel room earlier this month has been arrested in Arizona, where police say he is a suspect in two stabbings in recent days.
New York City police officials said at a news conference Tuesday that they are seeking to extradite and arrest Raad Almansoori, 26, in the killing of Denisse Oleas-Arancibia, 38, He has not yet been charged.
There were no immediate records for Almansoori’s lawyers in Arizona, and it was not immediately clear if he has legal representation in New York.
Oleas-Arancibiam was found by staff on the floor of a lower Manhattan hotel room on Feb. 8. Her death was determined to have been caused by blunt force trauma to the head, and a broken iron was found at the scene, police said.
Almansoori was arrested on Sunday in Arizona and later booked on suspicion of attempted murder, aggravated assault and theft of means of transportation, though no formal charges had yet been filed as of midday Tuesday.
While in custody, he told officers he was wanted for the homicide and that they should Google the hotel’s name, NYPD Chief of Detectives Joseph Kenny said.
Hours before the arrest, local police allege he attacked an employee in a bathroom at a McDonald’s restaurant in Surprise, a suburb in the northwest section of metro Phoenix.
They say the suspect entered the women’s bathroom, pounded on the door of the stall where the employee was locked behind, climbed under the door, pointed a BB gun at her and stabbed her at least three times in the neck before fleeing.
He was eventually arrested in Scottsdale, where he was allegedly driving a stolen car.
Phoenix police said he is also suspected of stabbing another woman during a robbery attempt while armed with a knife and gun a day earlier.
New York officials are working with the Federal Bureau of Investigation to look for any other incidents in connection with the suspect in Florida and Texas, where he previously lived and has been arrested.
“Anywhere that he’s visited, there is potential that there are other victims around the country,” Deputy Commissioner of Public Information Tarik Sheppard said.
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Associated Press writer Jacques Billeaud in Phoenix contributed to this report.