A robber with distinctive face tattoos pleaded guilty Thursday to the murder of philanthropist Jacqueline Avant, the wife of legendary music executive Clarence Avant.
Aariel Maynor, 30, also pleaded guilty to the attempted murder of Avant’s security guard at her Beverly Hills home in December, Los Angeles County prosecutors said.
Jacqueline Avant, 81, and Maynor startled each other when he broke into her $7 million Beverly Hills home on December 1 before opening fire, sources close to the incident told TMZ. She was rushed to the hospital where she died from her injuries.
Maynor has previous felony convictions for assault, robbery and grand theft and was on parole at the time of the shooting.
He was apprehended by cops after accidentally shooting himself in the foot during a subsequent attempted robbery nearby.
Maynor is scheduled to be sentenced on March 30 for Avant’s murder and could be sentenced to up to 170 years in prison, prosecutors said.
‘This crime continues to shock the conscience,’ District Attorney George Gascón said in a statement. ‘Mrs. Avant’s death was a tragic loss felt by our entire community.’
Gascón said Maynor will be ineligible for elderly parole.
Aariel Maynor, 30, also pleaded guilty Thursday to the murder of philanthropist Jacqueline Avant, the wife of legendary music executive Clarence Avant
Jacqueline Avant was fatally shot early on December 1 at her home in Beverly Hills. She is pictured with husband, Clarence
Police were called to the Avants’ home on December 1 after a 2:23am call reporting a shooting. Officers found Jacqueline with a gunshot wound. She was taken to the hospital but did not survive.
An hour later, Los Angeles Police Department officers were called to a home in the Hollywood Hills – about seven miles from the Avant residence – for a reported shooting.
They found Maynor there, as well as evidence of a burglary at that home, and took him into custody.
Maynor accidentally shot himself in the foot while breaking into the Hollywood Hills home. An LAPD watch commander ‘put two and two together’ and reached out to Beverly Hills investigators.
Sources closed to the incident told TMZ that Jacqueline Avant and Maynor startled each other when he broke in that night.
Jacqueline is often awake after 2am and the night of the break-in was most likely no different, the source continued, adding that her husband Clarence was asleep in their bedroom.
A security guard was stationed at the front of the house, though Maynor is believed to have entered through the side yard.
He then smashed open the home’s rear sliding glass doors, the shattered remains of which are seen in photos obtained by DailyMail.com.
The guard heard the gunshot and raced inside before Maynor shot at him and then fled the scene. Police were called to the Avants’ home after a 2.23am call reporting the shooting.
Jacqueline was taken to the hospital, where she was pronounced dead.
Shocking photos obtained by DailyMail.com show the sliding glass door that was smashed by home invader who killed the wife of legendary music executive Clarence Avant
Investigators work the scene of Jaqueline Avant’s murder after an apparent home invader shot and killed her, pictured last week
Beverly Hills police were called to the home after a 911 caller said someone had been shot and killed. Officers arriving at the scene discovered one victim, Avant’s wife of 54 years, Jacqueline, suffering from a gunshot wound. She succumbed to her wounds later that day
Maynor, 30, was arrested after attempting to rob another home in the Hollywood Hills, where he accidentally shot himself in the foot. He is above handcuffed to wheelchair as he is being taken into custody by police
Police confirmed that Maynor (pictured in what appears to be prison) has an extensive criminal record dating back nearly a decade, including convictions for assault, robbery and grand theft
Jacqueline Avant was a longtime local philanthropist who led organizations that helped low-income neighborhoods including Watts and South Los Angeles, and was on the board of directors of the International Student Center at the University of California, Los Angeles.
Grammy-winning executive Clarence Avant is known as the ‘Godfather of Black Music’ and was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame last year.
The 91-year-old was also a concert promoter and manager who mentored and helped the careers of artists including Bill Withers, Little Willie John, L.A. Reid, Babyface, Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis.
Clarence was awarded a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 2016, with his wife by his side
Jacqueline, Clarence and Gail Mitchell at the Jazz Foundation honors in LA in 2019
The Motown fixture’s life and legacy were recently chronicled by Sarandos’ streaming service in 2019, in a documentary titled The Black Godfather
The Avants were married for 54 years and had two children, Alexander Du Bois Avant and Nicole Avant, a film producer and former U.S. ambassador to the Bahamas who is married to Netflix co-CEO and Chief Content Officer Ted Sarandos.
Jacqueline Avant’s charitable work and personal connections made her a widely beloved figure.
After her death, tributes to her came from former President Bill Clinton, Earvin ‘Magic’ Johnson and Quincy Jones, who said ‘The heaviness of my heart today is unlike any other that I have ever experienced.’
