BOSTON (CBS) – A young man from Revere is charged with a horrific murder in East Boston last week.

A law enforcement source told the Boston Globe the victim, 50-year-old John Barrientos, was stabbed more than 80 times.

Jake Wark, a spokesman for the Suffolk District Attorney’s Office, would only confirm that Barrientos was stabbed several times.

Twenty-year-old Cristian Santa is charged with a single count of murder.

Barrientos was found in an alley between two homes Friday morning.

Santa was arrested late Saturday night.

He pleaded not guilty at his arraignment Monday in East Boston District Court and was ordered held without bail.

“Veteran investigators said this was among the grisliest crime scenes they’d ever encountered,” Suffolk County District Attorney Dan Conley said in a statement.

There is no word yet on a motive.

Investigators said Santa and Barrientos were drinking together late Thursday into early morning. Witnesses said they later heard screams and “thudding” sounds at about 5 a.m.

Authorities believe Barrientos was killed in the basement of his Chelsea Street apartment building sometime around 5 a.m., then dragged outside to an alley, where his body was found about an hour later.

There have been 16 homicides so far this year, which is twice as many as this time last year.