Suspect In the Killing of Music Exec’s Wife, Jacqueline Avant, Arrested

An arrest has been made in the death of music executive’s Clarence Avant’s wife, Jacqueline.

According to CBS Los Angeles, police officials have arrested 29-year-old Aariel Maynor. Maynor’s vehicle was seen on various surveillance videos heading eastbound out of the city shortly after the fatal home invasion.

On the same night of the killing, Los Angeles Police Department’s Hollywood Division police officers were notified about a shooting and burglary taking place in the 6000 block of Graciosa Drive at about 3:30 a.m. Maynor was discovered in the backyard of the home, suffering from a gunshot wound in his foot that was self-inflicted.

LAPD Deputy Chief Blake Chow stated that it was an “astute watch commander at Hollywood that, starting to put two and two together, and reached out to Beverly Hills.” There were similarities between the two break-ins that prompted the Beverly Hills detectives to go to Hollywood to investigate it further.

According to NPR, a statement was released by the Beverly Hills Police department:

“Beverly Hills detectives responded to Hollywood division and collected evidence connecting Maynor to the homicide of Jacqueline Avant in our city, including the suspected weapon. Beverly Hills detectives have assumed investigative responsibility for both cases. The investigation leads us to believe there is no further threat to public safety. The evidence thus far shows that only one suspect was involved in the crime and the motive remains under investigation.”

According to TMZ, the incident happened in the Trousdale Estates, located near Beverly Hills. Police officials said the Beverly Hills Police Department received a phone call about the break-in at 2:30 a.m on December 1. The dispatcher was told that someone had been shot. By the time police officers arrived, Jacqueline had been rushed to a nearby hospital, where she was pronounced dead.

A security guard was also shot, TMZ reported. Clarence Avant was not injured.