Man Pleads Not Guilty to Vandalizing Cars : Courts: Anti-defamation group is monitoring case of 31-year-old accused of shooting out the windows on 30 Newport vehicles.

A Glendale man who in the past has been suspected of distributing racist messages at Southland supermarkets pleaded not guilty Wednesday to charges that he vandalized expensive cars in a Newport Beach neighborhood.

Allan Eric Carlson, 31, was arrested early Tuesday on suspicion of shooting out the windows of about 30 cars, mostly Mercedeses and BMWs, parked in the Eastbluff section of Newport Beach. He is also suspected of vandalizing 48 other cars in the area earlier this month, police said.

A pellet gun believed used in the vandalism was found in his car, authorities said.

Carlson was being held on $20,000 bail in Orange County Jail after his arraignment Wednesday in Municipal Court in Newport Beach. He has been charged with misdemeanor vandalism and misdemeanor possession of brass knuckles, each of which carries a maximum punishment of one year in jail, Deputy Dist. Atty. Jack Sullens said.

Newport Beach police say the investigation is continuing.

Members of the Anti-Defamation League of B’nai B’rith have said they are monitoring the case against Carlson, who was arrested in 1993 on suspicion of stamping racist messages on notebooks at a supermarket and earlier this year was ordered by a Los Angeles County court not to stuff fliers into product packaging.

Last year, Carlson was arrested on assault charges on suspicion of punching a janitor whom police said attempted to stop him from placing racist leaflets into student lockers at a Simi Valley high school.