Homeless man accused of imprisoning Samaritan host

A 53-year-old homeless man appeared Thursday in Clark County Superior Court on suspicion of strangling and imprisoning a Samaritan who gave him shelter.

Anthony B. Elliott of Portland faces charges of second-degree assault and unlawful imprisonment at his April 18 arraignment.

Judge Barbara Johnson set bail at $100,000. Despite being homeless, Elliott doesn’t qualify for a court-appointed defender because he receives veterans benefits, Johnson said.

Deputy Prosecutor Julie Carmena said Elliott is homeless, and the victim gave him a place to stay for the night. The suspect allegedly removed his clothes and sneaked up behind the victim inside her apartment in the 2800 block of East 19th Street, Carmena said. He then swung his forearm around her neck in a chokehold, restricting her breathing, according to a probable cause affidavit. Later, after she was apparently released or escaped from his arms, he blocked her from leaving her apartment by standing in front of the door and holding a red belt, “restraining her ability to move,” the affidavit states. The court document doesn’t say whether he held her with the belt or just held it in front of her.

Another male witness, whose relationship to the victim isn’t described in the affidavit, confronted the attacker, the court record states. It’s unknown whether the confrontation happened inside the apartment. Elliott allegedly responded by grabbing the man by the throat and restricting his breathing and then throwing the man to the ground.

Elliott was arrested nearby at the intersection of East 18th Street and Fairmount Avenue. The court documents don’t say when the incident occurred, but Elliott was arrested Wednesday morning.

Elliott has been unemployed since 1994. He was awarded disability benefits for post traumatic stress disorder and possible other problems and receives income of about $2,800 per month, according to court documents. He lists his address as that of his father and stepmother’s in Portland.