Avant Shooting: Sentencing Postponed To April 19

BEVERLY HILLS, CA — Sentencing was postponed for the man who pleaded guilty to murder and other counts in the shooting death of Jacqueline Avant.

Ariel Maynor, 30, could face up to 170 years to life in prison when he is sentenced on April 19. His sentencing was originally scheduled for Wednesday.

Maynor pleaded not guilty to murder and other charges in December. On March 3, he pleaded guilty to one count each of murder, attempted murder and being a felon in possession of a firearm and two counts of residential burglary with a person present.

Avant was fatally shot during a home invasion on Dec. 1 around 2 a.m. at her Beverly Hills residence located at the 1100 block of Maytor Place. She was taken to Cedars-Sanai Medical Center, where she was pronounced dead, police said.

The city of Beverly Hills has since been rattled by Avant's death, which strengthened local fears about crime amid other flashy crimes in the city.

Jacqueline Avant was an active member of the Beverly Hills community and the city's entertainment industry. She was a philanthropist who served on the board of directors of the University of California, Los Angeles' International Student Center. Her husband, Clarence Avant, is a music industry legend who was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame this year.

City News Service contributed to this story.