An East Village resident who allegedly fatally stabbed another man 40 to 50 times in an apparently “random and unprovoked” attack in the victim’s apartment pleaded not guilty on Aug. 14 to murder and false imprisonment charges.

Maxwell Thomas Logan, 25, is accused of entering 38-year-old Andrew Holland’s 14th Street apartment and killing him on Aug. 9 night.

The slaying came to light about 10:45 that evening, when Mr. Holland’s roommate made a 911 call to report finding the victim dead from stab wounds to his head and upper body in their residence four blocks south of San Diego City College, Lt. Steve Shebloski said.

“Although it is early in the investigation, detectives [believe] the victim was at home when the [assailant] entered his apartment through an unlocked or open front door and attacked him,” Mr. Shebloski said. “At this early stage in the investigation, the exact motive for the attack is undetermined. However, this attack appears to [have been] random and unprovoked.”

According to Deputy District Attorney Miriam Hurtado, Mr. Logan and Mr. Holland lived on separate floors of the same complex, but did not know one another.

The prosecutor said the front door to Mr. Holland’s unit was propped open and the victim was looking through his mail in the kitchen when Mr. Logan entered and attacked him “in an unprovoked, callous rage.”

As officers were cordoning off the area to allow for investigation of the homicide, a woman in another apartment flagged them down from her window. She appeared frightened and passed notes to officers on the street below, informing them that her boyfriend, Mr. Logan, was “acting violent and strange,” according to police.

Ms. Hurtado said one of those notes read, “Please help. Please send someone to [her apartment].” In addition to Mr. Logan’s girlfriend flagging down officers, the prosecutor said a blood trail was discovered that led from Mr. Holland’s apartment to Mr. Logan’s.

Officers checked the welfare of the woman and located Mr. Logan, Mr. Shebloski said.

“[He] had blood on his person and minor injuries that were consistent with being in some type of confrontation where a cutting or stabbing object was used,” he said.

Mr. Logan, who remains in custody without bail following his initial court appearance on Monday, was arrested at the scene. He faces up to 28 years to life in state prison if convicted of all charges.

Along with the murder count, Mr. Logan faces a false imprisonment count in connection with his girlfriend. Ms. Hurtado said Mr. Logan forced her into a bedroom, locked her inside, and made threats toward her and her pets.

About two hours before the homicide, two separate women reported seeing a person matching the suspect’s description behaving in a suspicious manner, according to the prosecutor, who said Mr. Logan kicked one of those women while she was walking her dog.