A parolee accused of stabbing a 31-year-old man to death during a confrontation in Riverside pleaded not guilty Wednesday to murder and other charges.
Jesse Navarro Valdez, 53, of Riverside was arrested in August after he turned himself in to police following a two-week investigation into the slaying of David Rhines, also of Riverside.
In addition to murder, Valdez is charged with sentence-enhancing allegations of using a deadly weapon in the commission of a felony and committing a violent crime while on parole.
He was arraigned before Riverside County Superior Court Judge David Gunn, who scheduled a felony settlement conference for Jan. 26 at the Riverside Hall of Justice.
The defendant is being held in lieu of $1 million bail at the Robert Presley Jail in Riverside.
According to Officer Ryan Railsback of the Riverside Police Department, on the night of July 28, Valdez and Rhines were involved in an unspecified dispute in a residential garage in the 8100 block of Philbin Avenue, near the north end of Philbin Park.
The exchange escalated into a fight, culminating in the defendant allegedly pulling a knife and attacking the victim.
Railsback said Rhines suffered “multiple stab wounds” and was left unconscious.
Valdez fled the location immediately afterward, the police spokesman said.
Witnesses called paramedics, who attempted life-saving measures, but the victim died at the scene.
Homicide detectives pieced together the events and ultimately identified Valdez as the alleged assailant, according to Railsback.
Initial attempts to locate the convicted felon proved unsuccessful. However, on the evening of Aug. 11, he walked into the police department’s Magnolia Station and declared his identity, resulting in his being taken into custody without incident, Railsback said.
According to court records, Valdez has prior convictions for assault with a deadly weapon, possession of controlled substances, burglary and driving under the influence of drugs.