Teen pleads not guilty in slaying of Arbor View student

A 19-year-old man pleaded not guilty Thursday in the rape and slaying of 15-year-old Alyssa Otremba over the Labor Day weekend.

District Judge Michelle Leavitt set a trial date of Oct. 16 for Javier Righetti, who was indicted earlier this month on charges related to Otremba's death and the March kidnapping and sexual assault of another 15-year-old girl, who was choked in the attack but survived.

Righetti, dressed in navy blue jailhouse clothing with his arms and legs shackled, was quickly escorted in and out of Leavitt's courtroom at the brief arraignment Thursday. Alyssa's mother, Jennifer Otremba, attended the hearing.

Clark County prosecutors are seeking the death penalty for Righetti.

Authorities said he confessed to Las Vegas police that he tortured Otremba while stabbing her in the face and other parts of her body with a knife more than 80 times.

Authorities also said he carved the initials "LV" on the Arbor View High School freshman's body.

Otremba's burned body was discovered Sept. 3 in a vacant lot along the route she took between home and school in the northwest valley.

The sexual assault of the other teenager occurred March 8 in tunnels that run under U.S. Highway 95 in the same area of town, authorities said.

Righetti was charged with a total of 10 felony counts in the two attacks, including murder, sexual assault, kidnapping and armed robbery.

The suspect was arrested at his home in the 7900 block of Willow Pines Drive, minutes from Alyssa's home and less than a mile from the vacant lot where her body was found.

Police tracked down Righetti through his friend, Daniel Ortiz. He told detectives Righetti called him about 12:30 a.m. Sept. 3 and said he had killed a girl during a robbery.