San Diego

A 17-year-old boy suspected of being the triggerman in two slayings in North County that authorities believe may have been racially motivated pleaded not guilty Monday at his arraignment.

Wearing a gray sweat shirt and jeans, Kenneth Alexander Kovzelove appeared before San Diego Municipal Judge Lillian Quon, in his first court appearance since last week’s ruling that he was fit to be tried as an adult.

Quon ordered Kovzelove kept in County Jail in lieu of $1 million bail, as requested by Deputy Dist. Atty. Dave Stutz.

Kovzelove of San Diego and 19-year-old Dennis Bencivenga of Rancho Bernardo are accused of killing Hilario Salgado, 22, and Matilde de la Sancha, 19, on an isolated stretch of Black Mountain Road on Nov. 9.

Their preliminary hearing was rescheduled from Monday until May 12.

Bencivenga was arrested in March and arraigned then, but Kovzelove had to be extradited from Fort Benning, Ga., where he was in training as an Army paratrooper.

Kovzelove’s case was handled in Juvenile Court until Thursday, when Judge Larry Kapiloff found that he should be tried as an adult.

Bencivenga, who allegedly drove the pickup truck from which Kovzelove is believed to have gunned down the two men with an assault rifle, has posted $150,000 bail, and remains free.