James Alexander Hardy, the 19-year-old Marine charged with the brutal murder of Raymund Catolico, who was found strangled and stuffed under a bathroom sink in his Little Italy apartment last month, was arraigned Tuesday on an amended complaint alleging that the murder was a hate crime.

Deputy District Attorney Chandra Carle said the victim’s status as a gay man was in part or in whole a motivation for the murder, and that it is believed that the relationship between Hardy and the victim was sexual in nature.

DawnElla Gilzean, the public defender representing Hardy, said that the defense expects the evidence to show that Mr. Hardy’s actions were “in no way motivated by Mr. Catolico’s sexual preferences and that his conduct was in fact reactive.”

Hardy was arrested Feb. 11 and detained by military police at the Marine Corps Recruit Depot. He pleaded not guilty to murder in court Feb. 16.

Images from a bank’s surveillance camera show Hardy using one of Catolico’s credit cards, which was taken and used after his death.

San Diego Superior Court Judge David M. Szumowski set Hardy’s bail at $1 million. Under the amended complaint, Hardy could spend life in prison without parole, an elevated maximum sentence from the original 25 years to life.

Hardy pled not guilty to the hate crime allegation.

A hate crime is defined as one that is committed because of the victim’s race, color, religion, national origin, age, disability or sexual orientation.

An additional status conference will take place May 31, and a preliminary hearing is set for July 26.