Suspect Arrested in Murder of Music Executive’s Wife
After just over a day of the music community reeling from the shocking home invasion and robbery of Jacqueline Avant, a suspect has been arrested. Jacqueline was the longtime wife of music legend, Clarence Avant, also known as the Black godfather of music. She was 81-years-old.
The suspect reportedly shot himself in the foot while trying to rob another home
TMZ reports that the man responsible for Jacqueline’s murder was caught in a backyard an hour after shooting the 81-year-old philanthropist. Video shows him handcuffed to a wheelchair after being taken into custody by LAPD. Per police, the suspect, Aariel Maynor, traveled from Beverly Hills to Hollywood Hills after his attack on the Avant family. He reportedly tried breaking into another home and in the process, he shot himself in the foot with an AR-15.
He was tended to by paramedics, and in the process, he was handcuffed to a wheelchair while he was being loaded into an ambulance. Per the video, he was conversational with first responders. His right foot is what appears to be the one he shot. In the video, the foot is bandaged.
Maynor was previously sentenced to 4 years for second-degree robbery with enhancements for a prior felony conviction, He was released on parole supervision in 2021 after serving his full sentence.
Tyler Perry promised to use all resources available to find the killer
Perr was one of the many celebrities to express his outrage regarding the incident. “My heart breaks for Clarence and Nicole and all the Avant family,” Perry tweeted. “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.”
He continued another tweet, writing, “But you can rest assured that every available resource will be used to find whoever is responsible for this awful nightmare. This is tremendously sad.”
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Other celebrities have expressed their sentiment. “Sending my love and prayers to the Avant family,” she wrote on Instagram with prayer hands emojis and a broken-heart emoji. Patti LaBelle commented on Jackson’s post, adding prayer hand emojis.
Tina Knowles-Lawson, Beyoncé’s mother, shared her condolences, writing, “I am shocked and heartbroken by this senseless news !! This beautiful woman inside and out, classy, generous, creative, who was loved by so many of my close friends, and they along with the world are heartbroken. I am praying for her family and may she Rest In Peace.”
The robbery did not appear to be random
LAPD held a press conference regarding the ordeal. “I don’t think it was a random attack,” Beverly Hills Police Chief Mark Stainbrook said, theGrio reported. “I can’t speculate on that right now.”
Stainbrook added that any suspect or suspects at the time were not detained. They wanted everyone with information to come forward. “This is a difficult day for our city,” the police chief said. At the time of the press conference, he was just on his third day on the job.
The Avent family released a statement to USA TODAY, thanking everyone “for their outpouring of love, support, and heartfelt condolences for Jacqueline.”
“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,” the statement continued. “She will be missed by her family, friends, and all of the people she has helped throughout her amazing life.”
