Adopted Son Pleads Not Guilty to Mom's Death

Gerard Lopes entered a written not guilty plea

A South Florida man formally pleaded not guilty to a first-degree murder charge Monday in connection to the death of his adoptive mother.

Gerard Lopes, 21, entered a written not guilty plea, the South Florida Sun Sentinel reported.  His attorney, Bruce Raticoff, declined to comment, the newspaper said.

On Aug. 4, Lopes was indicted by a grand jury on the first-degree murder charge in the death of 43-year-old Natalie Belmonte.
Authorities found her body in a wooded area about a mile from where they lived together in Pembroke Pines.
 
He is being held in jail without bond and is scheduled to next appear in court in October.
 
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