Earlier this month, police in Arizona arrested a “mad man” wanted for brutally murdering a sex worker inside a New York City hotel, hitting her with an iron and cutting her in the neck before leaving the scene in the victim’s leggings. He was arrested on suspicion of strangulation.
Raad Almansouri, 26, is accused of brutally murdering Denise Oleas Arancibia, 38, a mother of two whose body was found inside the Soho 54 Hotel on Watts Street on February 8th. Wanted by the New York City Police Department.
Police said Oleas Aranchibia’s body was placed on the floor under a blanket, with pieces of plastic embedded in his skull. The coroner ruled her death a homicide due to blunt force trauma.
Denis Oleas-Arancibia (left) and Raad Almansouri (center and right). Al-Mansoori is accused of killing Oleas-Arancibia with an iron. (Fox 5, Surprise Police, NYPD)
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New York City police began searching for the suspect, who was seen leaving the scene wearing the same tight leggings that Oleas Aranchibia wore when she checked into a hotel the day before. Police said a blood-splattered pair of men’s pants was found next to Oleas Aranchibia’s body.
Al-Mansouri was arrested by police in a stolen car on Sunday, and police say they are pursuing him after allegedly dragging a female McDonald’s employee into a women’s restroom, holding her against her will and stabbing her multiple times.
He carjacked and stabbed another woman in Phoenix a few days earlier. Both victims in Arizona survived.
Al-Mansouri was arrested in Arizona on numerous charges, including attempted murder, robbery and two counts of assault, after a list of previous criminal charges was revealed.
Police said the suspect kidnapped and sexually assaulted another sex worker in Sumter County, Florida, in 2023, but was released on bond in September. Almansoori also has an outstanding warrant in Texas.
Raad al-Mansouri, who police say was wearing Denise Oleas-Aranchibia’s leggings after she was murdered.
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When he was taken into custody in Arizona, he admitted to the McDonald’s attack and knife incident in Phoenix. He also told police to “Google the Soho 54 Hotel.”
Police posted a photo of al-Mansoori, who had injuries to his nose. NYPD Deputy Commissioner for Public Affairs Tariq Shepard said at a news conference Tuesday that police are “glad the state of Arizona is able to remove this lunatic from our streets.”
NYPD Chief of Detectives Joseph Kenney said at the news conference that the NYPD is considering extraditing Al-Mansouri to the Big Apple to face charges in Oleas-Aranchibia’s death. Kenney said al-Mansoori was out on bail at the time of the Oleas Aranchibia attack and had an “extensive out-of-province arrest history.”
Kenney said Almansoori told police in Arizona that he had hurt “three additional girls” in Florida.
Dennis Oleas-Arancibia was murdered in a New York City hotel two weeks ago. (Fox 5)
Mr. Kenney said Mr. Almansouri and Mr. Oleas Arancibia got into an argument over the amount of time they were allowed to stay in the room, “which led to the riot that resulted in the assault.”
Kenney said she had no criminal history.
Kenney said al-Mansouri also visited the escort the night before the attack on Oleas Aranchibia.
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Oleas Aranchibia came to the United States five years ago with her 18-year-old son, leaving behind her other son.
Oleas Aranchibia’s son, Edwin Ceballos, told the New York Post that his mother had appeared nervous and worried in the days leading up to her death.
She “always worked to give us the best life in this country,” Ceballos said.
