A Santa Maria man charged with first-degree murder pleaded not guilty in court on Wednesday.
Gustavo Hernandez, 59, is accused of using a knife to kill Evaristo Ortiz Cortez, 44, on the night of May 25.
It happened in the 300 block of East McElhany Ave. in Santa Maria. Police say officers responding to a report of a fight and stabbing arrived at the scene to find Cortez in a nearby apartment suffering from stab wounds. He was taken to Marian Regional Medical Center, where he was later pronounced dead. Police found Hernandez at a neighboring residence and took him into custody.
Hernandez is due in court again on June 5.
He remains in custody at the county jail with bail set at $2 million.
