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…