A California jogger filmed himself killing a man who was blocking his path, prosecutors from the Orange County District Attorney’s Office said.
On the afternoon of Sept. 28, prosecutors say Craig Sumner Elliot, 68, of Garden Grove was on a run with two dogs and a pushcart. While passing through the 10400 block of Katella Avenue, about 2 miles from Disneyland, Elliott allegedly came across Antonio Garcia Avalos, 40, an unhoused man sleeping across the sidewalk. Prosecutors say Elliott then used his pushcart to “nudge Avalos in an attempt to wake him up.” In response, Avalos “began yelling at Elliott to get away from him.”
Elliott allegedly began filming their encounter. According to video reviewed by prosecutors, Avalos threw a shoe at Elliott, who responded by shooting Avalos three times. Elliot had a concealed carry permit issued by the Orange County Sheriff’s Office, the district attorney’s office said.
“This is a tragic set of circumstances that unfolded in the worst possible way over a minor inconvenience of a blocked sidewalk, and a man is dead as a result,” Orange County District Attorney Todd Spitzer said in a statement.
On Nov. 17, Elliott was arrested on suspicion of felony voluntary manslaughter but released after he posted his $100,000 bail. He is due back in court on Dec. 15 for an arraignment.