A transient man called “violent and sadistic” by a prosecutor pleaded not guilty Monday to severely beating an Australian tourist and another man in separate incidents in February in Ocean Beach.

Damian Maple, 21, was charged with two counts of torture, aggravated mayhem, assault with a deadly weapon and battery.

Maple faces a maximum penalty of life in prison, Deputy District Attorney Patty Herian said outside the courtroom.

San Diego Superior Court Judge David M. Szumowski ordered Maple jailed in lieu of $1 million bail and scheduled an April 18 hearing to determine if there is sufficient evidence for a trial.

The judge appointed the Public Defender's Office to represent Maple.

A second transient, Frank Montoya, 46, has been charged with torture and aggravated mayhem in connection with the Feb. 27 attack on Australian tourist Robert Schneider, 26.

Montoya is awaiting extradition from Oregon, where he was arrested in Eugene on March 31. Maple was arrested the same day in a remote area of northern Idaho, where he was found hiding under a bed at the home of an acquaintance. He was extradited to San Diego Friday.

Standing with his head bowed, Maple said little in court other than to say “no” when the judge asked if he wanted a hearing to challenge the amount of bail.

Prosecutor Herian told the judge that the attack on Schneider was especially vicious and started when someone threw sand as Schneider was drinking with Maple, Montoya and some other men about 4 a.m. around a fire ring in Ocean Beach..

“That, apparently, instigated that entire incident,” Herian said. She said Maple and Montoya took turns “viciously beating” Schneider with a skate board and threw him into a smoldering fire in the fire ring.

Schneider, an electrician who had been traveling around the world, suffered severe burns on his legs and lower body, a skull fracture, a crushed eye socket and broken hands.

He is recovering and said last week he was preparing to go home.

In a similar but unrelated incident, Maple is charged with beating a man into unconsciousness Feb. 9 in a parking lot in Ocean Beach. Herian said another man who has not been identified joined in the beating. She declined to say whether Montoya was a suspect and said further details would come at the April 18 hearing.