A man who was arrested in connection with the fatal shooting of philanthropist Jackie Avant in her Beverly Hills home last week has been charged, the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office announced Monday.
Aariel Maynor, 29, faces murder and attempted murder charges in the Dec. 1 attack in which Avant’s security guard was also shot at but not injured. Maynor was also charged with being a felon with a firearm, two counts of residential burglary with a person present and an allegation that he used an assault long-barrel pistol during the crimes.
The 81-year-old victim was the wife of music legend Clarence Avant.
The incident was reported about 2:25 a.m. in the upscale neighborhood of Trousdale Estates. Responding officers from the Beverly Hills Police Department found Avant suffering from a gunshot wound. She was taken to a hospital, where she later died.
Shortly after the shooting, surveillance videos caught the suspect’s vehicle heading east out of Beverly Hills.
About an hour after the shooting, Los Angeles police officers responded to another shooting at a home in the 6000 block of Graciosa Drive in the Hollywood Hills. Maynor was found in the backyard suffering from a gunshot wound to his foot. Authorities said he had accidentally shot himself during a burglary.
He was subsequently arrested and taken to a hospital. He was eventually identified as the suspect in the Avant shooting.
Though authorities said last week it was not clear what the motive behind the Beverly Hills incident was, Maynor has been charged with robbery.
Maynor’s arraignment was continued to Tuesday.
“Mrs. Avant was a treasured member of our community,” L.A. County District Attorney George Gascón said in a news release. Her generosity and good will touched so many lives.”