23-year-old pleads not guilty to murder in deadly shooting at Indio Motel 6

INDIO, Calif. (KESQ) - A 23-year-old man pleaded not guilty to a murder charge in connection with a deadly shooting last week at the Motel 6 in Indio.

Cameron Isaiah Maestas was arrested Friday, hours after the deadly shooting at the Motel 6 on Indio Boulevard, near Sun Gold Street and Fred Waring Drive. The shooting was initially reported at around 11:30 p.m. on Thursday. A 27-year-old man was pronounced dead.

Maestas was arraigned Wednesday before Riverside County Superior Court Judge Arthur Hester, who scheduled a felony settlement conference for June 27 at the Larson Justice Center in Indio.

Police say the investigation revealed there was a dispute between the victim and the suspect before the shooting.

A white Toyota Camry with paper plates was seen fleeing the scene, police said. Investigators used video surveillance footage from the motel as well as from Flock Cameras to get a description of the vehicle. A detective spotted the suspect vehicle passing by near the crime scene.

During a traffic stop on the vehicle, police found a bag thrown from within the vehicle on the street. The bag contained a loaded Glock semi-automatic firearm. Officers were also able to confirm that the vehicle was the same as the one they were looking for from the shooting.

Stay with News Channel 3 for continuing updates.