Man suspected of murdering wife in La Quinta pleads not guilty

A La Quinta man arrested for the murder of his wife on Sunday pleaded not guilty today.

Jose Meza, 27, was arrested on a first-degree murder charge for the slaying on Patricia Cecena, 26. Cecena was identified by her cousin, Rosie Reyes, as the Meza’s wife.

La Quinta man arrested for woman’s murder

Meza was arraigned at Larson Justice Center in Indio this morning. He pleaded not guilty to the first-degree murder charge, as well as a special allegation of lying in wait; if Meza is found guilty of the special allegation, he could be eligible for the death penalty, according to John Hall, public information officer for the Riverside County District Attorney’s Office.

He is being held without bail is expected to return to Indio court on February 8.

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