Aariel Maynor, the man accused of killing prominent Los Angeles philanthropist Jacqueline Avant in December, has pleaded guilty to murder, attempted murder, possession of a firearm by a felon and two counts of burglary.
According to the Los Angeles Times, Maynor broke into Jacqueline’s Trousdale Estates home in Beverly Hills with an AR-15 rifle shortly before 2 a.m. on Dec. 1. The 30-year-old then opened fire, killing Avant, the wife of legendary music executive Clarence Avant.
Prosecutors said Maynor also shot at Jacqueline’s security guard while he fled in a car.
“This crime continues to shock the conscience,” Los Angeles County District Attorney George Gascón said in a statement on Thursday. “Mrs. Avant’s death was a tragic loss felt by our entire community.”
Gascón said Maynor will face more than 100 years in prison. He is scheduled to appear at his sentencing on March 30.
Greg Risling, a spokesman for the district attorney’s office, said California law requires most older inmates or those who have served 20 consecutive years in state prison to be eligible for parole. Maynor, however, will not be eligible for early release because he has two prior convictions. The 30-year-old, who was previously convicted for robbery and causing great bodily injury, was paroled from state prison three months before shooting Jacqueline.
Police said the 81-year-old philanthropist was shot three times after the perpetrator broke a sliding glass door with a rock and entered the home. Clarence was home at the time, according to police, but he didn’t see the shooting. The music producer was cradling his wife’s body when officers arrived.
Officers found Maynor shortly after the shooting in the backyard of a Hollywood Hills home. Police said he had shot himself in the foot during another attempted burglary.
While it’s not clear why Maynor targeted the Avants’ home, Clarence told police that he heard an argument before gunfire erupted.
Jacqueline served as president of Neighborhood of Watts, a support group for child care in South Los Angeles. She also donated to UCLA’s International Student Center regularly.
“It is still hard to believe she is gone for no reason. We are comforted this person has pled guilty to this most horrendous act,” Michael Lawson, a friend of the Avant family and president of the Los Angeles Urban League, said, according to the Times . “We are all still mourning this senseless loss. I personally can only hope this is of some small solace to Clarence and his family.”