Florida man accused of NYC murder, AZ stabbings jailed without bond

ORLANDO, Fla. - Arizona state officials believe they have finally put an end to a violent crime spree with connections to Florida. 

Investigators believe Raad Almansoori, 26, is the man responsible for violently stabbing two women in the Phoenix area. In addition to the recent stabbings in Arizona, New York City Police say he's also wanted in connection to a woman's murder earlier this month. He is currently in jail in Arizona with no bond. 

"We are all much safer with Almansoori off the streets," said police from Surprise, Arizona, during Wednesday's news conference. "During his interview, Almansoori told us he intended to find and harm more individuals." 

The latest accusations come less than a year after he was arrested in Orlando. 

"Breaks my heart for the other women involved, for the families of those women involved, when all of this could have been prevented," said Leah Palian, "I told them this was a possibility. I could feel it." 

Leah Palian says it was a gut feeling - that Almansoori could get arrested again, accused of a more violent crime. 

Almansoori was arrested last April and accused of sexual battery, assault, and holding Palian against her will. 

"He said before he started strangling me, screaming, ‘I’ll kill you,'" said Palian. 

The state attorney's office confirmed Wednesday that there was not enough evidence for the most serious charges. He was given a $2500 dollar bond for the remaining Grand Theft Charge. 

Palian says she's frustrated that the other charges were dropped and believes he should have been in jail in Florida. 

"There's definitely blood on the state of Florida's hands," said Palian. 

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Almansoori was expected in court in Orlando next month for a pre-trial conference. The state attorney's office said they filed a motion to revoke his bond based on this new information. 

In a statement to the media, State Attorney Bain's office said: 

"Defendant Raad Almansoori currently has one criminal case in the Ninth Judicial Circuit of Florida which is open and active. Our prosecutorial ethical rules only allow us to release limited details right now since the case is still open. In reference to case 2023-CF-4570, we can confirm the investigating law enforcement agency referred the case to our office in April 2023 with the following charges: Sexual Battery (Coerces Victim), Aggravated Assault, Grand Theft Third Degree Motor Vehicle, Grand Theft Third Degree (>750, <5000) and Obstructing Justice- Hinder Communication to Law Enforcement Officer.

"When reviewing cases that are referred to our office, we consider several factors to determine the appropriate charges to be filed. In this case, we thoroughly vetted the investigation, conducted an extensive interview with the victim in person and combed through all available evidence. After reviewing all the evidence and facts related to the case, we concluded there was insufficient evidence to prove the Sexual Battery and Aggravated Assault charges beyond a reasonable doubt.

"Our office found sufficient evidence to file a Grand Theft of a Motor Vehicle charge. Almansoori was arrested and granted a bond of $2,500 for that third-degree felony, which is customary for the type of charge and consistent with Florida law which mandates a bond be set in most cases. Almansoori was released from jail after posting bail in September 2023. His next scheduled court appearance is a pre-trial conference on March 13. Our office has filed a motion to revoke Almansoori’s bond based on new information we have received.

"We are disheartened to hear about the tragic events in New York and Arizona and our thoughts and prayers are with the victims, their loved ones and all the communities impacted. We also care deeply about the victims in our communities and do everything possible to support them and build strong cases to secure convictions. We acknowledge the hurt and pain that is felt when we are legally unable to move forward with prosecuting a case.

"Our sole mission at The State Attorney’s Office is to create safer communities by seeking justice for victims of crime and prosecuting offenders to hold them accountable for their actions. Everyone deserves to live in a community without fear of violence and we work tirelessly every day to take criminals off the streets in accordance with the law. We remain committed to prosecuting every case based on the law and being an advocate for victims."

During Wednesday's news conference, Arizona state leaders indicated they planned to keep Almansoori in custody there, and at this point, there were no plans to extradite him to any other state where he faces charges.