SANTA ANA, Calif.—A 38-year-old man was behind bars March 24 on charges of slamming a cat against the windshields of cars in Huntington Beach, killing the animal.

Beau Browning Watson pleaded not guilty Thursday to cruelty to animals and two counts of vandalism, all felonies, in the jail courtroom in Santa Ana. He was next due in court April 4 for a pretrial hearing in the West Justice Center in Westminster.

Police were called about 8 p.m. Tuesday to the 1800 block of Main Street regarding a disturbance of the peace complaint, said Jessica Cuchilla, a spokeswoman for the Huntington Beach Police Department.

When the officers arrived, they found Browning had allegedly smashed the cat against parked cars, breaking two windshields, Cuchilla said.

Watson, who listed his occupation as an artist, was being held on $20,000 bail, according to jail records.