A thief with distinctive tattoos on his face pleaded guilty Thursday to the murder of philanthropist Jacqueline Avant, the wife of legendary musician Clarence Avant.
Ariel Manner, 30, also pleaded guilty to attempted murder of Avant security guards at her home in Beverly Hills in December. Los Angeles That’s what the district attorneys said.
Jacqueline Avant, 81, and Manner were shocked when he broke into her $ 7 million home in Beverly Hills on Dec. 1 before opening fire, sources close to the incident said. TMZ. She was rushed to hospital, where she died of her injuries.
Manner has previous convictions for assault, robbery and grand theft and was released on parole.
He was apprehended by cops after accidentally shooting himself in the leg in a subsequent robbery attempt nearby.
Manner is due to be sentenced on March 30 for the murder of Avant and could be sentenced to up to 170 years in prison, prosecutors said.
“This crime continues to shock the conscience,” District Attorney George Gascon said in a statement. “Mrs. Avant’s death was a tragic loss felt by our entire community.
Gascon said Manner would not be eligible for parole.
Ariel Manner, 30, also pleaded guilty Thursday to killing philanthropist Jacqueline Avant, the wife of legendary musician Clarence Avant.
Jacqueline Avant was shot early on December 1 at her home in Beverly Hills. She is pictured with her husband Clarence
Police were called to the Avants’ home on Dec. 1 after a 2:23 a.m. call announcing the shooting. Officers found Jacqueline with a gunshot wound. She was taken to hospital but did not survive.
An hour later, Los Angeles Police Department officers were called to a home in the Hollywood Hills – about seven miles from the Avant residence – for a reported shooting.
There they found Manner, as well as evidence of burglary in this house and detained him.
Manner accidentally shot himself in the leg as he stormed the Hollywood Hills home. The commander of the LAPD watch “gathered two and two” and turned to investigators from Beverly Hills.
This was announced by sources close to the incident TMZ that Jacqueline Avant and Manner were startled when he stormed in that night.
Jacqueline is often awake after 2 am and the night of the break-in was probably no different, the source continued, adding that her husband Clarence slept in their bedroom.
A security guard was stationed in front of the house, although it is believed that Manner entered through the side yard.
He then smashed the rear sliding glass doors of the house, the broken remains of which can be seen in photos obtained from DailyMail.com.
The guard heard the shot and rushed inside before Manner fired at him and then fled the scene. Police were called to the Avants’ home after a 2.23am call announcing the shooting.
Jacqueline was taken to hospital, where she was pronounced dead.
Shocking photos obtained from DailyMail.com show a sliding glass door that was smashed by an invader who killed the wife of legendary musician Clarence Avant
Investigators are working on the scene of Jacqueline Avant’s murder after an obvious invader shot and killed her, pictured last week
Beverly Hills police were called to the home after a 911 caller said someone had been shot and killed. Officers who arrived at the scene found a victim, Avant’s 54-year-old wife, Jacqueline, suffering from a gunshot wound. Later that day, she succumbed to her wounds
The 30-year-old Manner was arrested after trying to rob another home in the Hollywood Hills, where he accidentally shot himself in the leg. He was handcuffed to a wheelchair as he was detained by police
Police have confirmed that Manner (pictured in what looks like a prison) has an extensive criminal record of nearly a decade, including convictions for assault, robbery and grand theft.
Jacqueline Avant was a longtime local philanthropist who ran organizations that helped low-income neighborhoods, including Watts and South Los Angeles, and was on the board of directors of the International Student Center at the University of California, Los Angeles.
Grammy-winning CEO Clarence Avant is known as the “Godfather of Black Music” and was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame last year.
The 91-year-old was also a concert promoter and manager who mentored and assisted in the careers of artists including Bill Withers, Little Willie John, LA Reid, Babyface, Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis.
Clarence was awarded a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 2016, with his wife next to him
Jacqueline, Clarence and Gail Mitchell at the 2019 Jazz Foundation Awards.
Motown’s life and legacy were recently described by the Sarandos streaming service in 2019 in a documentary entitled The Black Godfather
Avants has been married for 54 years and had two children, Alexander Du Boa Avant and Nicole Avant, a film producer and former US ambassador to the Bahamas who is married to Netflix co-CEO and content director Ted Sarandos.
Jacqueline Avant’s philanthropic work and personal connections made her a widely loved figure.
After her death, a tribute to her came from former President Bill Clinton, Irwin Magic Johnson and Quincy Jones, who said, “The weight of my heart today is different from any I’ve ever experienced.”