Man charged in Georgia slaying cited by White House amid immigration crackdown pleads not guilty

The Cobb County Courthouse complex in Marietta, Ga., is shown in this photo Monday, March 24, 2025 (AP Photo/Jeff Martin)

The man charged in a slaying in suburban Atlanta that the Trump administration highlighted in support of its tough immigration stance pleaded not guilty Monday to charges of murder and rape, according to a court filing.

Hector David Sagastume Rivas was scheduled to appear in a Cobb County courtroom on Tuesday. But in the filing signed by his attorney, A. Lee Fudger, he waived formal arraignment and entered the plea.

A message for Fudger was not immediately returned.