Santa Clarita / Antelope Valley : Suspect in Boy’s Slaying at Palmdale Mall Surrenders : Homicide: Adolfo Real Jr., 24, pleads not guilty. He says he was only recently aware of the July 18 arrest warrant.

A 24-year-old Palmdale man wanted in connection with the July 5 slaying of a teen-ager at the Antelope Valley Mall has turned himself in to authorities.

Adolfo Real Jr., who has been charged with shooting Efrain Pablo Brito, 16, during an argument in the mall’s parking lot, had been sought by authorities since July 18 when a warrant was issued for his arrest.

Real pleaded not guilty Monday in Antelope Municipal Court to the murder charge and said through his attorney that he was unaware until recently a warrant had been issued for his arrest.

Judge Ian R. Grant ordered Real held without bail pending a preliminary hearing Sept. 29.

Real’s lawyer, deputy public defender Manuel R. Martinez, said his client was out of the state when he learned about the warrant.

“He is not guilty of the crime,” Martinez said. “He didn’t know about the warrant until just recently.”

After learning of the warrant, Martinez said, Real returned to the Antelope Valley and discussed the allegations with his family. “Then he decided the best thing to do was to turn himself in and clear up the matter,” Martinez said.

Sheriff’s Lt. Tom Pigott said deputies learned that Real wanted to surrender through an anonymous call on Saturday. The caller agreed to have Real meet deputies outside a convenience market at 60th Street West and Avenue L-8.

Real was arrested at that location Sunday without incident.

“Whatever the motivation was, whether he was tired of running or it was his conscience, I don’t know,” Pigott said.

Sheriff’s investigators have alleged that on July 5, Real was in a car in the parking lot when he and the other passengers got involved in an argument with the occupants of another car.

During this dispute, Real, who uses the nickname “Fo Fo,” allegedly drew a handgun and fired at Brito, hitting the Littlerock High School student in the chest. Brito’s friends drove him to a Palmdale hospital, where he later died.

The incident was the first slaying to occur at the mall, which opened four years ago.