San Diego

A 20-year-old man charged with strangling his grandmother, then stabbing his mother to death pleaded not guilty Friday at his arraignment.

At the request of Deputy Dist. Atty. Mark Pettine, bail was set at $2 million for Mario Newsome of San Diego

Mamie Newsome, 67, was strangled with a cord, Pettine said in court, and Marsha Newsome, 49, was stabbed to death after she found her mother’s body. The slayings occurred Tuesday.

Pettine told San Diego Municipal Judge Joe Littlejohn that the district attorney’s office is considering filing special-circumstances allegations, which could result in a sentence of death if Newsome is convicted of first-degree murder.

Newsome, dressed in jail clothing, sobbed as he was led before the judge and news photographers took his picture.

The prosecutor said the defendant had a dispute with his relatives, with whom he was living, over bills he had accumulated on their credit cards.

Littlejohn scheduled a bail review for Wednesday, after Newsome’s attorney, Linda Brown, protested that the $2 million is excessive. A preliminary hearing was set for Oct. 5.

Pettine said police have not found any weapons used in the killings.

Newsome, accompanied by friends, surrendered at a police substation the day after the slayings.