A Georgia man pleaded not guilty to murder Monday in Santa Barbara County Superior Court in a case connected to the killing of a woman in Santa Maria 35 years ago.

Aloysius Winthrop James, 57, entered his plea during the arraignment hearing after being extradited from Georgia.

The arrest stems from the killing of Ofelia Sandoval, 30, at the Town Center Hotel on the 200 block of North Broadway on Sept. 18, 1988. The hotel was demolished after being severely damaged in a 2013 fire. 

James, who lived in Santa Maria at the time of the killing, was taken into custody in April at his home in Gainesville, Georgia.

Since his arrest three months ago, he had remained in a Georgia jail awaiting extradition.

In addition to a felony count of first-degree murder, James faces a special circumstance contending that he committed the murder during the commission of rape.

His next court appearance is scheduled for July 30 in Santa Maria Department 6.

The investigation was led by Santa Maria Police Department Detective Nate Craven, with support from members of the Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Office and the Santa Barbara County District Attorney’s Office’s Bureau of Investigations. 

Senior Deputy District Attorney Ann Bramsen is leading the prosecution team.

James remains in custody at the Santa Barbara County Jail. 

— Noozhawk North County editor Janene Scully can be reached at jscully@noozhawk.com. Follow Noozhawk on Twitter: @noozhawk, @NoozhawkNews and @NoozhawkBiz. Connect with Noozhawk on Facebook.