29-year-old arrested for killing of Clarence Avant’s wife, 81, in Beverly Hills home invasion

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The career criminal suspected of killing Jaqueline Avant in a Beverly Hills home invasion was arrested just an hour after the murder, when he shot himself in the foot during a separate burglary in Hollywood Hills, police have revealed. 

Aariel Maynor, 29, faces charges in Avant’s murder early on Wednesday after an ‘astute watch commander’ in Hollywood connected the dots between the two home invasions, LAPD Deputy Chief Blake Chow said.

Maynor has been in custody since early Wednesday but was only announced as the murder suspect on Thursday afternoon.

Police say evidence suggests that Maynard shot himself with same AR-15 rifle used in the murder of Avant, the wife of legendary music executive Clarence Avant, and that the two crimes are further tied together by surveillance footage of his vehicle.

The murder suspect has an extensive criminal history, including convictions for assault, robbery and grand theft.  

In September, Maynor was released on parole after serving a four-year prison sentence for second-degree robbery with enhancements for a prior felony. He remains in LAPD custody at a Los Angeles hospital

New footage shows Maynor handcuffed to wheelchair with his bloody foot on display as he is being taken into custody by police.    

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Police say Maynor is currently their only suspect and his motive for in the murder remains under investigation.

Maynor is set to be booked once he is medically cleared, police said. 

Officers first responder to the Avant home invasion in the upscale Trousdale Estates section of Beverly Hills after a 911 call at 2.23am on Wednesday. She was found gravely injured and rushed to a hospital where she died.

A review of area surveillance footage showed what is believed to be the suspect’s vehicle speeding east out of Beverly Hills, investigators say.

At around 3.30am, officers responded to a second report of a shooting in the 6000 block of Graciosa Drive in the Hollywood Hills, about seven miles east of the Beverly Hills murder.

In Hollywood Hills, cops discovered Maynor in the backyard of a home, suffering from a gunshot wound to his foot. He had apparently accidentally shot himself in the foot during an attempted burglary, police said. 

‘We had an astute watch commander in Hollywood that started to put two and two together and reached out to Beverly Hills,’ Deputy Chief Chow said during a Thursday press conference. 

Maynor was sentenced to a five-year prison term in November 2013 for second-degree robbery and inflicting great bodily injury, a California Department of Corrections spokesperson said.

He served a second four-year term for second-degree robbery with enhancements for a prior felony and was released on parole on September 1, 2021.

According to his Facebook page, Maynor started a new job as an electrician in October. His profile claims that he studied at Hartnell College in Salinas. 

The 81-year-old philanthropist Jaqueline Avant, whose daughter Nicole is married to Ted Sarandos, Netflix co-CEO and chief content officer, was shot dead early Wednesday morning in her $7 million Beverly Hills mansion despite a security guard being on the property.     

Police said Clarence and a security guard were home at the time of the attack but not harmed. 

Neighbors of the Avants were so worried by the recent rise in burglaries in the neighborhood that they hired armed guards a week before the music executive’s wife was killed.

Residents of Trousdale Estate in Beverly Hills told TMZ that just last week, several neighbors got together and hired a private security firm in response to a recent spike in home and car burglaries in the area. 

The neighbors were so afraid, they say they pooled money and hired a security company, but they had not started patrols yet before Wednesday’s tragic shooting. 

On Wednesday, Clarence Avant’s wife of 54 years, Jacqueline Avant, died of a gunshot wound in what appears to have been a home invasion, although police have still declined to say how many suspects were involved, if anyone witnessed the attack or whether this incident is connected to a recent string of burglaries targeting the wealthy in the Los Angeles area. 

Jacqueline was transported to a local hospital but died later that morning. She was 81 years old. 

Law enforcement sources told the LA Times that at least one burglar made it into the $7 million mansion before Jacqueline was killed, although it is unclear if that person was apprehended, and no description for a possible suspect has been issued.

Beverly Hills police were called to the home in Trousdale Estates around 2.30am Wednesday after a 911 caller said someone had been shot, according to Beverly Hills Stainbrook.

Officers arriving at the scene discovered one victim, Avant’s wife of 54 years, Jacqueline Avant, suffering from a gunshot wound. Clarence Avant, 90, was in the home at the time but was not injured. 

Following the brutal killing residents say they have individually hired armed guards for extra protection, TMZ reported.  

Beverly Hills Police confirmed they would be increasing patrol in the area and the department has also hired a private security company to adequately cover the area. 

Beverly Hills Police said they have not found any connection between Avant’s shooting and the recent rise in looting in California. 

Tributes are already pouring out for the noted philanthropist, including from Bill Clinton and Magic Johnson, and Tyler Perry is vowing to devote ‘every available resource’ to tracking down those responsible.

Jacqueline, who once modeled in the Ebony Fashion Fair, served as president of the Neighbors of Watts, a support group that focused on child care. She also served on the board of directors of the International Student Center at UCLA. 

The couple’s daughter, Nicole Avant, 53, is married to Netflix CEO Ted Sarandos. Nicole was also ambassador to the Bahamas, appointed by then-president Barack Obama in 2009. 

The Motown fixture’s life and legacy have been chronicled by Sarandos’ streaming service in 2019, in a documentary titled The Black Godfather.

The Netflix-run production was produced by his daughter Nicole, and detailed how Avant oversaw impressive deals for black artists throughout his illustrious career, which spanned decades, through narrations from Barack Obama, Snoop Dogg, Bill Clinton, and more.

The Rock & Roll Hall of Fame describes Avant as ‘cool, savvy, confident, and fearless – someone who makes the impossible possible. He’s served a variety of roles during his illustrious career, including manager, label owner, concert organizer, event producer, political fundraiser, and mentor.’  

It continues: ‘Avant’s career began in the 1950s when he served as the manager for Little Willie John and jazz organist Jimmy Smith. In late 1969, he launched Sussex Records, a label that soon achieved a Top Ten hit with Dennis Coffey’s Scorpio. The most notable artist on Sussex was Bill Withers, who released his first three records for the label, featuring the hits Ain’t No Sunshine, Lean on Me, and Use Me. In 1971, Avant launched Avant Garde Broadcasting, one of the first Black-owned radio stations in the country.’  

The storied exec is also an accomplished producer and actor – known for Deliver Us from Evil in 1975, The Color Purple in 1985 and Jason’s Lyric in 1994.  

In a statement to DailyMail.com, the victim’s family said: ‘The entire Avant and Sarandos families wish to thank everyone for their outpouring of love, support and heartfelt condolences for Jacqueline Avant.’

‘Jacqueline was an amazing woman, wife, mother and philanthropist and a 55 year resident of Beverly Hills who has made an immeasurable positive impact on the arts community. She will be missed by her family, friends and all of the people she has helped throughout her amazing life,’ said the grieving family. 

Bill Clinton wrote in a tweet: ‘Jackie Avant was a wonderful woman, a great partner to Clarence and mother to Alex and Nicole, an active citizen & a dear friend to Hillary and me for 30 years.’ 

‘She inspired admiration, respect & affection in everyone who knew her. We are heartbroken. She will be deeply missed,’ added Clinton.

Basketball icon Earvin ‘Magic’ Johnson wrote on Twitter that he and his wife were ‘devastated’ by the news of Avant’s death, calling her ‘one of our closest friends.’

‘This is the saddest day in our lives,’ he wrote.

Actress Viola Davis tweeted: ‘So sorry for the Avant family. My heart goes out to you!!! OMG!!!! Where are we??!!! WHAT are we?!!’

Famed actor and director Tyler Perry vowed that ‘every available resource will be used to find whoever is responsible for this awful nightmare.’

‘This world can be so cruel and cold!! I have no idea what kind of sub-human could shoot an 81 year old woman, and in her own home,’ tweeted Perry. 

In a published statement, Los Angeles Sentinel owner and family friend Danny Bakewell Sr said that Clarence Avant was ‘currently grieving but resting with his family.’

Photos of the crime scene show a broken sliding glass door on the rear of the home, with shards of glass strewn about the outdoor pool deck. It is unclear if the glass was broken by the gunshot, or during an altercation which culminated in Jacqueline’s murder.

A security guard was stationed at the house, according to the outlet. He was reportedly shot but did not return fire at the attackers. Sources told TMZ, which first reported the murder, that Clarence was not injured.

A family source told TMZ that robbers fired shots as they entered the home and hit Avant’s wife. The home is valued at an estimated $7 million. It’s unclear if the suspect or suspects made off with any stolen goods. 

Stainbrook had said Wednesday afternoon that the department is currently conducting an investigation into the incident, which they have determined is a homicide.

At least one suspect, the shooter, had gotten inside the Avants’ home when he opened fire at Jacqueline, TMZ further reported, speaking to sources connected to the investigation. It’s still unclear how many suspects were involved. 

Police initially said the suspects were likely looking to rob the elderly couple, citing a broken glass door at the back of the property.

However, Chief Stainbrook later said: ‘The motives in this case are still unknown, and we are investigating all possible motives.’

‘We will not speculate on anything that’s out there, including if this was a robbery attempt or not,’ he added.