Arrest Made in the Fatal Shooting of Jacqueline Avant, Wife of Music Legend Clarence Avant
The police chief says a 29-year-old suspect is in custody in connection with the shooting at the couple’s Beverly Hills home.
A yellow police tape blocks access to the 1100 block of Maytor place where Jacqueline Avant’s house is at the top of the hill, in Beverly Hills, California on Dec. 1.
VALERIE MACON/AFP via Getty ImagesAn arrest has been made in connection to the fatal shooting of Jacqueline Avant.
The 81-year-old philanthropist and wife of legendary music executive Clarence Avant was killed Wednesday in the couple’s Beverly Hills home.
Beverly Hills police announced Thursday that 29-year-old Aariel Maynor of Los Angeles has been taken into custody. The motive remains unclear, police said. The suspect is on parole and has an “extensive” criminal history, Beverly Hills Police Chief Mark G. Stainbrook said Thursday during a media conference.
Multiple surveillance videos, including city cameras, showed the suspect’s vehicle heading eastbound out of Beverly Hills shortly after Avant was shot around 2:23 a.m. Wednesday morning, authorities said.
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At 3:30 a.m. Wednesday, the Los Angeles police Hollywood division responded to a reported shooting at a residence in the 6000 block of Graciosa Drive, where they found a man, Maynor, in the backyard suffering from a gunshot wound to his foot. Following a thorough investigation, it was determined that a burglary occurred at that residence and that Maynor accidentally shot himself in the foot, authorities said.
Maynor was arrested by LAPD and transported to a local hospital and has been in law enforcement custody since. Beverly Hills detectives responded to the Hollywood division and collected evidence allegedly connecting Maynor to the shooting of Avant, including the suspected weapon, authorities said. There are no other suspects in the Avant case, police said.
Beverly Hills detectives have assumed investigative responsibility for both cases.
The chief previously said he did not believe the shooting was a random attack and noted that his department would not rest until the suspect was brought to justice.
Jacqueline and Clarence’s daughter, Nicole Avant, is married to Netflix co-CEO and chief content officer Ted Sarandos.
In a statement sent to The Hollywood Reporter following news of the arrest, the Avant and Sarandos family said, “Our deepest gratitude to The City of Beverly Hills, the BHPD and all law enforcement for their diligence on this matter. Now, let justice be served.”