Craig Elliott charged after he allegedly filmed himself fatally shooting a sleeping homeless man

A California jogger who allegedly filmed himself fatally shooting a homeless man as he slept has been arrested and charged in the killing.

Craig Sumner Elliott, 68, was out for an afternoon jog with his two dogs and a pushcart in his Garden Grove, Calif. neighborhood when he encountered Antonio Garcia Avalos, 40, asleep in the middle of the sidewalk.

According to the Orange County DA, Elliot nudged Avalos with his pushcart in an attempt to roust the homeless man from his slumber so he could navigate around him.

Upon waking up, Avalos is said to have started shouting at the jogger to get away from him, at which point Elliot started filming and pulled a handgun from the cart. Authorities said the video captures Avalos rising to his feet and throwing a shoe at Elliot, who ducked to avoid it.

Elliot then allegedly opened fire, shooting Avalos three times. He later died of his injuries.

Garden Grove cops arrested Elliot, who holds an active concealed carry permit issued by the Orange County Sheriff’s Department, on Nov. 17. He was charged with felony voluntary manslaughter with an enhancement of personal use of a firearm.

Elliot was released from custody after posting $100,000 bail with a scheduled arraignment date of Dec. 15. If convicted on all charges, he could face a maximum state prison term of 21 years.

“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.

“This case is a stark reminder that taking the law into your own hands is never the answer and that there are consequences for your actions.”

Garden Grove is a midsize city of approximately 170,000 people about 34 miles southeast of Los Angeles.