The man suspected of murdering music legend Clarence Avant’s wife at her Beverly Hills home was arrested after he shot himself in the foot in a botched robbery at a separate home, police announced Thursday.
Aariel Maynor, 29, a parolee with an extensive criminal history, was found in the backyard of a different Beverly Hills residence with the wound shortly after he allegedly killed Jacqueline Avant, Beverly Hills Police Department officials said.
Cops said the gunshot wound to his foot was accidentally self-inflicted during an attempted burglary.
Beverly Hills Police Chief Mark Stainbrook told reporters on Thursday that Maynor had been out on parole at the time of the slaying and had a long rap sheet.
In Nov. 2013, he pleaded guilty to a robbery charge and was sentenced to five years in prison, according to California Supreme Court Records.
On July 29, 2013, he pleaded no contest to a domestic violence incident. He was sentenced to probation for 36 months and was ordered to take domestic violence classes for that case.
He also was convicted of felony grand theft and sentenced on June 30, 2010 to 20 days in L.A. County Jail and three years formal probation.
Maynor was wheeled out of the hospital on Thursday evening by law enforcement with his foot wrapped up in bandages.
Detectives from the Beverly Hills Police Department analyzed surveillance footage that shows Maynor’s vehicle traveling from the area near Avant’s home shortly before he was arrested.
Police connected the two incidents based on evidence uncovered at both crime scenes, including the suspected weapon.
Police said they are certain there is no further threat to the public and Maynor had acted alone.
The motive for the killing remains under investigation, police said.
“To the Beverly Hills Community, let me reassure you, this is one of the most protected and patrolled cities in the world. Crime of any kind will not be tolerated here. Let this be a message to anyone thinking of committing a crime in Beverly Hills — you will be caught and brought to justice,” BHPD Chief Mark Stainbrook said in a statement.
Avant, 81, was killed during a suspected home invasion around 2:30 a.m. on Wednesday morning while her husband Clarence was home in the ritzy Trousdale Estates neighborhood, TMZ reported. By the time police arrived on scene, Avant had been taken to a local hospital.
Clarence, who was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 2021, is the subject of the Netflix original documentary, “The Black Godfather,” which delves into his storied musical career and connection to figures like Louis Armstrong and Al Capone, who helped launch Clarence’s career.
