AZ prosecutor refuses to extradite NYC murder suspect citing DA Alvin Bragg's soft-on-crime policies

On Wednesday, Maricopa County Attorney Rachel Mitchell announced that a man accused of killing a woman in New York City before fleeing to Arizona, where he was caught after stabbing two more people, would not be extradited back to the Empire State.

Mitchell expressed concern that Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg would simply let 26-year-old Raad Almansoori back out onto the street, and claimed it was safer for all Americans if he was kept under her watch.

"We are going to keep him here," Mitchell said during a press conference. "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 and keep him in custody so he can't be out doing this to individuals either in our state, our county, or anywhere in the United States."

She emphasized that her move was in no way "aimed at the NYPD," saying she knows they "did a hard job and a good job."

On Thursday, Bragg responded to Mitchell's comments, questioning her motives and accusing her of "playing political games in a murder case."

"Her reasoning?" he said. "Not because that's what the law dictates, not because that's what advances justice, not because of a concern for victims, not at the request of the NYPD, but rather, plain and simple, old-fashioned grandstanding and politics."

"She professes concern that a murder suspect in Manhattan will be released?" he continued. "I don't know what they do in Arizona, but I know that here in this county, New York County, we routinely seek and get remands in our murder cases."

When pressed on the widespread view that he is not tough enough on criminals, Bragg pointed to his data, ignoring the numerous instances where suspects were allowed to walk free.

Mitchell responded to Bragg's comments saying that the actions she was taking were "putting the victims first" in the case.

As the Daily News reports, Almansoori is accused of murdering Denisse Oleas-Arancibia at the SoHo 54 Hotel on February 8, then fleeing to Arizona, where he went on to stab two more women, though not fatally.

After being nabbed by local law enforcement, he admitted that he "intended to find and harm more individuals."