A Guadalupe man has pleaded not guilty to attempted murder in connection with a Santa Maria shooting that left the victim with critical injuries.

After a one-day delay, Justin Orozco, 19, was arraigned Wednesday on the charges in Santa Barbara County Superior Court.

Santa Maria police officers were dispatched to a report of shots heard on the 200 block of West Williams Street at 7:30 p.m. Dec. 14.

Upon arrival, they located a man who had suffered a gunshot wound.

The victim, whose name was not released, was transported to Marian Regional Medical Center, where he remained in critical condition on Dec. 18, police said.

Days after the shooting, detectives and Special Enforcement Team members served arrest and search warrants in Santa Maria, Guadalupe and the Tanglewood neighborhood related to the investigation.

They took Orozco into custody without incident.

He has been charged with attempted murder, along with several sentencing enhancements including committing a felony for the benefit of a street gang and causing great bodily injury. 

He will return to court on Jan. 4, when the judge and attorneys may set a date for his preliminary hearing. 

He remained in the Santa Barbara County Jail, with bail set at $2 million. 

— 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.