A California man is accused of fatally shooting a homeless man who was sleeping on the sidewalk on September 28. He filmed the scene while he was jogging on the sidewalk a few miles north of South Los Angeles.
The man in question, Craig Summer Elliott, 68, faces charges of first-degree murder and using a firearm during the commission of a crime.
Mr. Elliott was running with his dogs and pushing a shopping cart when he came across the homeless man, Antonio Garcia Avalos, 40, who was sleeping on the sidewalk, the Orange County District Attorney’s Office said in a statement.
He then allegedly used his basket to try to wake Mr Avalos, but when the latter woke up, he shouted at Mr Elliott to tell him to leave.
The homeless man then threw a shoe at him and Mr Elliott responded by shooting three times in his direction.
Mr. Avalos was seriously injured and subsequently died.
The whole thing was filmed by the accused.
“It is tragic that circumstances unfolded in the worst possible way regarding an inconvenience as small as a blocked sidewalk,” District Attorney Todd Spreitzer said in a news release.
Mr. Elliott was arrested and formally charged.
He will return to court on December 15.
