The death of 40-year-old Antonio Garcia Avalos has ignited a debate over crime in California, as well as the politics that have led to its proliferation. Craig Sumner Elliot, 68, of Garden Grove was recently arrested and charged with felony voluntary manslaughter for allegedly shooting Avalos on a sidewalk in September.
“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,” commented Orange County District Attorney Todd Spitzer.
According to reports, Elliot had been jogging along a sidewalk with two dogs and was pushing a pushcart when he met Avalos sleeping on the sidewalk, prompting Elliot to nudge the homeless man awake with the pushcart. Avalos reacted by shouting at Elliot to go away, and was throw a shoe at him. This allegedly prompted Elliot to reach for his gun in the pushcart and fire three shots. Avalos succumbed to his injuries.
“He tried to attack me so I shot him” were Elliott’s exact words, according to witness Sebastian Bona.
Homeless advocacy groups have decried outrageous acts of violence against their community by criminals who take the law into their own hands, often without facing much consequence.
“We know that a lot of the homeless live in fear and are vulnerable to crime. People think that they can put these folks in their place or that they have no rights, and unfortunately this killing is a reflection of this way of thinking,” one advocate stated.
The incident has also highlighted the problem of crime in California, which many argue is largely due to a lack of leadership from both Democratic and Republican politicians. California’s economy and housing market have forced people to live in poverty and on the streets, which has laid the groundwork for a rampant criminal justice problem.
“California is ranked highest in homeless rate, but has among the lowest spending per capita on homeless services, and the highest prison population in the country,” noted another advocate. “Homeless people need protection, certainly from violence, but also from state policies that do not afford them the same rights as everybody else.”
It remains to be seen what kind of justice Elliot will face for his alleged crime. What is clear, however, is that California desperately needs to take a harder stance on crime, and to invest in policies that protect homeless people from harm.