Suspect arrested in killing of Jacqueline Avant
Los Angeles police have made an arrest in the killing of Jacqueline Avant, the wife of music legend Clarence Avant. The 81-year-old was gunned down in the couple's Beverly Hills mansion.
Police say 29-year-old Aariel Maynor is responsible for fatally shooting the philanthropist in her home in the wealthy neighborhood of Trousdale early Wednesday. Maynor has an extensive criminal record and was out on parole, according to police.
Just one hour after Avant was killed, police responded to another shooting at a home in nearby Hollywood, where they located the suspect.
"He was in the house and collecting property and then after that somehow discharged a weapon and apparently shot himself in the foot," said Blake Chow, LAPD's deputy chief. "Somewhere in the night, we had an astute watch commander of Hollywood that started to put two and two together and reached out to Beverly Hills, and there were some similarities."
Those similarities included the getaway vehicle that was caught on surveillance video heading toward Hollywood and an AR-15-style rifle found at the second scene that detectives believe was used to kill Avant.
Detectives haven't had a chance to talk with Maynor because he's in the hospital. They don't yet have a motive for the killing.
On Thursday, the family of the philanthropist and former runway model expressed gratitude to law enforcement and said in a statement, "Now let justice be served."