Prosecutors in Arizona refused to extradite a 26-year-old man accused of killing a girl at a New York Metropolis resort this month due to what they mentioned was the Manhattan district lawyer’s lenient therapy of violent criminals.

Rachel Mitchell, the Maricopa County attorney in Arizona, mentioned at a information convention on Wednesday that her crew wouldn’t work with Alvin L. Bragg, the Manhattan district lawyer who is predicted to cost the person, Raad Almansoori, in the killing of 38-year-old Denisse Oleas-Arancibia.

After resort employees on Feb. 8 found the physique of Ms. Oleas-Arancibia in a rented room at SoHo 54, Mr. Almansoori flew to Arizona, New York police officers mentioned on Wednesday. He was arrested there after stabbing a McDonald’s restaurant worker on Feb. 18. Mr. Almansoori has been in custody in Maricopa County since.

“Having observed the treatment of violent criminals in the New York area by the Manhattan D.A. there, Alvin Bragg,” Ms. Mitchell instructed reporters. “I think it’s safer to keep him here and keep him in custody, so that he cannot be out doing this to individuals either in our state, county, or anywhere in the United States.”

Police unions and Republican officers in New York Metropolis and nationwide have complained that too many harmful individuals are being launched on bail earlier than trial, and that Mr. Bragg has did not prosecute them as aggressively as he may. However there was no indication that Mr. Bragg’s workplace wouldn’t search to maintain the suspect behind bars.

On Wednesday, Emily Tuttle, a spokeswoman for Mr. Bragg, referred to as Ms. Mitchell’s remarks an insult.

“It is deeply disturbing that D.A. Mitchell is playing political games in a murder investigation,” Ms. Tuttle mentioned in an announcement. She additionally famous that murders and shootings had dropped since Mr. Bragg took workplace.

“New York’s murder rate is less than half that of Phoenix, Ariz., because of the hard work of the N.Y.P.D. and all of our law enforcement partners,” Ms. Tuttle mentioned. “It is a slap in the face to them and to the victim in our case to refuse to allow us to seek justice and full accountability for a New Yorker’s death.”

The gesture by Ms. Mitchell, a Republican who has held workplace since April 2022, is a unprecedented breach of felony justice norms and seems to be a continuation of an effort by the get together managed by former President Donald J. Trump to embarrass Mr. Bragg. His workplace is about to strive a felony case accusing Mr. Trump of orchestrating the cover-up of a hush-money cost to a porn star in an try to hide her story of an affair earlier than the 2016 election.

After Mr. Trump was indicted in Manhattan final March, outstanding Republicans together with Consultant Jim Jordan of Ohio, the chairman of the Home Judiciary Committee, held a hearing that they mentioned would spotlight crime in New York Metropolis. They painted Mr. Bragg as a hypocrite who was centered on a political campaign somewhat than dangerous conduct in his yard.