A 21-year-old man accused of gunning down an acquaintance in Good Hope pleaded not guilty Thursday to first-degree murder and other charges.
Isaac Miguel Rodriguez Mendoza of Good Hope was arrested last month following a Riverside County Sheriff’s Department investigation into the death of 46-year-old Hugo Lomeli of Perris.
Along with murder, Mendoza is charged with sentence-enhancing gun and great injury allegations.
He was arraigned Thursday before Superior Court Judge Jay Kiel, who scheduled a felony settlement conference for Sept. 10 at the Riverside Hall of Justice.
The defendant is being held in lieu of $1 million bail at the Robert Presley Jail.
According to sheriff’s Sgt. Mike Kelleher, at 12:30 p.m. on June 16, patrol deputies were sent to a residential property in the 24000 block of Marie Street, near Ellis Avenue, to investigate reports of a gun assault.
Kelleher said deputies found Lomeli in the house, mortally wounded from multiple gunshots.
Paramedics pronounced the victim dead at the scene minutes later.
Mendoza was detained at the house without incident. After questioning by Central Homicide Unit detectives, he was booked into the downtown Riverside jail.
The defendant and victim knew one another, but a possible motive for the alleged attack was not disclosed.
Mendoza has no documented prior felony convictions in Riverside County adult court.