PHOENIX, AZ – A man sought by New York City authorities for the brutal murder of a sex worker has been apprehended in Arizona. Raad Almansoori, 26, is accused of killing 38-year-old Denisse Oleas-Arancibia in a New York hotel earlier this month. Almansoori allegedly assaulted her with an iron and strangled her before leaving the scene dressed in the victim’s leggings.
Oleas-Arancibia, a mother of two, was discovered dead in the SoHo 54 Hotel on Watts Street on February 8. Her body was found under a blanket, with pieces of plastic embedded in her skull, according to the police. The medical examiner determined her death to be a homicide, the result of blunt force trauma.
The NYPD initiated a manhunt for the suspect, who was reportedly seen departing the crime scene wearing Oleas-Arancibia’s leggings. Police found a pair of blood-stained men’s trousers near the victim’s body.
Authorities apprehended Almansoori on Sunday in a stolen car, following a chase related to a separate incident. Almansoori is accused of kidnapping a female McDonald’s employee, forcing her into the women’s restroom, holding her captive, and stabbing her multiple times. He is also implicated in a carjacking and stabbing incident involving another woman in Phoenix. Both Arizona victims survived their attacks.
Almansoori faces multiple charges in Arizona, including attempted homicide, robbery, and two counts of assault. His arrest has brought to light a string of alleged previous crimes. Police claim he kidnapped and sexually assaulted another sex worker in Sumter County, Florida, in 2023 but was released after posting bail in September. Almansoori also has an outstanding warrant in Texas.
Upon his arrest in Arizona, Almansoori confessed to the McDonald’s attack and the Phoenix stabbing. He also suggested to the police to “Google the SoHo 54 hotel.”
The NYPD plans to extradite Almansoori to New York for Oleas-Arancibia’s murder. He was out on bail when Oleas-Arancibia was attacked and has an extensive out-of-state arrest history, according to NYPD Chief of Detectives Joseph Kenny.
Oleas-Arancibia, who immigrated to the United States five years ago with her 18-year-old son, was reportedly anxious and concerned in the days leading up to her death, according to her son, Edwin Cevallos.