SAN DIEGO -- A La Jolla man accused of stabbing another man during an argument at a Pacific Beach apartment complex pleaded not guilty Thursday to assault and battery charges.

Judge Francis Devaney ordered 23-year-old Agahan Alemdar held without bail because the defendant has an immigration hold against him.

Alemdar allegedly stabbed the victim in the neck around 4 p.m. Monday in the courtyard of an apartment building on Hornblend Street, police said.

The defendant turned himself in to police the next day.

Police did not disclose the nature of the argument that led to the stabbing.

Deputy District Attorney Stephen Marquardt said Alemdar is charged with assault with a deadly weapon and allegations that he personally used a deadly weapon that caused great bodily injury.

The defendant is also charged with battery causing serious bodily injury with the same allegations.

Alemdar faces up to eight years in state prison if convicted, the prosecutor said.

Devaney set a readiness conference for Sept. 8 and a preliminary hearing for Oct. 8.