A convicted felon accused of gunning down a 44-year-old Mecca man and wounding his friend pleaded not guilty Wednesday to first-degree murder and other charges.
Adolfo Suarez Lopez, 50, of Indio was arrested earlier this month following a Riverside County Sheriff’s Department investigation into the slaying of Alberto Padron in June.
Along with murder, Lopez is charged with attempted murder, being a felon in possession of a loaded firearm and sentence-enhancing gun and great bodily injury allegations.
The defendant was arraigned Wednesday before Superior Court Judge Dean Benjamini, who scheduled a felony settlement conference for Aug. 27 at the Larson Justice Center in Indio.
Lopez is being held without bail at the Smith Correctional Facility in Banning.
According to sheriff’s Sgt. Alberto Loureiro, just after midnight on June 28, the defendant was involved in an unspecified confrontation with Padron and his 43-year-old friend, identified only as “G.L.,” at a property in the 98000 block of Surfside Avenue, near Windward Drive, in North Shore.
Loureiro and court documents alleged that during the encounter, Lopez pulled a 9mm semiautomatic handgun and opened fire on the victims, fatally wounding Padron and inflicting a gunshot wound to G.L.
Witnesses called 911, and Lopez allegedly fled the scene, according to the sergeant.
He said paramedics pronounced Padron dead at the residence, while G.L. was taken to a Coachella Valley trauma center for treatment of the wound, from which he’s recovering.
Central Homicide Unit detectives soon identified Lopez as the alleged shooter, tracking him to a location in Murrieta, where he was taken into custody without incident on July 3.
His prior felony conviction was not listed in the criminal complaint.