Arizona Prosecutor Refuses to Extradite Murder Suspect Over NY Soft-on-Crime Concerns

Maricopa County Attorney Rachel Mitchell is refusing to extradite an accused murderer to New York City, citing Manhattan DA Alvin Bragg’s policies as too soft on violent crime.

Mitchell said she won’t send back career criminal Raad Almansoori, 26, who is charged with killing a sex worker in New York. “I’m putting the victims first and keeping him in custody,” Mitchell stated.

She pointed to recent cases of criminals released in New York who later committed crimes in Arizona. “I don’t want that to happen here,” Mitchell said.

Almansoori is accused of fatally beating a 38-year-old mother in a New York hotel room. He was arrested in Arizona after allegedly stabbing two women there.

Mitchell labeled Almansoori as “dangerous and violent” with lengthy mandatory sentences facing him in Arizona. She believes it’s safer to prosecute him there first before any extradition.

Bragg’s office called the refusal to extradite “deeply disturbing” and accused Mitchell of political games that “slap in the face” the NYPD.

But Mitchell doubled down, arguing Arizona has the right to prosecute its serious charges before extradition. She said this guarantees Almansoori serves prison time, even if later acquitted in New York.

Mitchell expressed sympathy for the New York victim’s family but feels compelled to keep the suspect detained in Arizona. She believes Bragg’s policies fail to fully prosecute violent criminals.