EXCLUSIVE: Laguna Beach bartender Dino Rojas-Moreno is seen in court the first time since being accused of ‘beating restaurant manager Tatum Goodwin to death with a fire extinguisher in alleyway before dumping her body on construction site’

The Laguna Beach man accused of the gruesome murder of beloved restaurant manager Tatum Goodwin has pleaded not guilty during his first court appearance.

Dino Rojas-Moreno, 26, appeared before Judge Andre Manssourian in California’s Orange County Superior Court for arraignment on Monday and entered a not guilty plea through an attorney, reported KABC.

He was accused of the brutal attack on Goodwin, whose body was found beaten to death by a fire extinguisher on November 12.

According to court documents, Rojas-Moreno is accused of using a fire extinguisher to kill the 27-year-old, which he allegedly committed “in the context and attempt to commit the crime of kidnapping.”

Goodwin, of San Clemente, was found beaten to death by construction workers outside the beach bar where she had been drinking with friends.

Beloved restaurant manager Tatum Goodwin was found dead on November 12

Laguna Beach bartender accused of using fire extinguisher to bludgeon 27-year-old to death

Prosecutors said her body was found “under fencing at a construction site and a sandbag was placed on her head,” according to KTLA.

The young woman had recently broken up with a boyfriend and appeared ‘upset’ as she left the bar in the early hours, according to the local website underlaguna.com.

She had gone to Hennessey’s Tavern on Ocean Avenue after work and also reportedly stopped for a drink at the Marine Bar across the street at some point in the evening.

A filing released Friday alleged that Rojas-Moreno approached Goodwin in a parking lot around 1 a.m. and assaulted her near her car.

The bartender “then forcibly dragged her to the back of the parking lot, down a short alley and into a secluded area behind a movie theater that was under construction,” prosecutors said.

Investigators allege he grabbed a fire extinguisher in the alley and beat the 27-year-old to death.

Rojas-Moreno didn’t show up for work the next day, and prosecutors say he claimed he was “jumped” by two men in Santa Ana.

According to the Orange County Register, Rojas-Moreno worked on the same strip in Laguna Beach as Goodwin’s restaurant at the Royal Hawaiian Fire Grill.

Despite being just minutes apart, investigators have yet to determine if the two met.

A native of the area, Rojas-Moreno became a bartender and worked at trendy restaurants after high school, including Blossoms & Brass in Costa Mesa.

The accused killer remains in custody without bail. A hearing is scheduled for January 30.

Goodwin was killed just yards from the Laguna Beach bar where she had enjoyed a night out with friends

She was discovered by a construction worker near Carmelita’s restaurant where she worked

Tributes poured in for the Carmelita restaurant worker and a candlelight vigil was held in her honour.

“Her light shone so brightly that it impacted so many different people,” Goodwin’s sister Kaylee said.

Madison Moyer, Goodwin’s best friend, described the slain 27-year-old as her “soulmate, best friend, other half” and “the person who brought me peace when I couldn’t find it myself.”

Marcos Salim Heredia, the owner of Carmelita’s Restaurants, left a message about a GoFundMe campaign organized by Goodwin’s sister.

“I have had the great pleasure of having Tatum as an assistant manager, friend and family member in our company for four years,” he wrote.

He remembered Goodwin as someone who “always put a smile on her face.”

The campaign is seeking funding for its memorial services and the creation of a memorial in Laguna Beach.

It raised more than $37,000, exceeding its $20,000 goal.

“We are still in disbelief and we don’t want her to remain unforgotten,” Heredia wrote.