Crime

The man who allegedly killed Jacqueline Avant was caught in a backyard roughly an hour after shooting the 81-year-old ... and video shows him handcuffed to a wheelchair after being taken into custody.

According to cops, Aariel Maynor traveled from Beverly Hills to the Hollywood Hills after his attack on the Avant home. He attempted to break into another home in the Hills, and in the process somehow shot himself in the foot with an AR-15.

You can see in new video, Maynor was tended to by paramedics, and handcuffed to a wheelchair while he was loaded into an ambulance. Maynor appears to be quite chatty with first responders, though it's unclear exactly what he was saying.

His right foot -- presumably the one he shot -- is bandaged.

TMZ broke the story, Maynor was arrested in connection to Avant's case ... cops say neighborhood surveillance helped them connect him from the crime in Hollywood to the murder at the Avant home.

A suspect has been taken into custody in the shooting death of music legend Clarence Avant's wife, Jacqueline ... TMZ has learned.

Family sources with direct knowledge tell us a man has been arrested in connection to the murder.

TMZ broke the story, 81-year-old Jackie was shot and killed inside the couple's Trousdale Estates home in Beverly Hills Wednesday morning. At the time, we were told at least one suspect made it into the home. A smashed glass door appeared to be the point of entry.

What's more ... a private security guard for the Avant's was on duty, and was shot at, but was not struck and did not return fire. It's not known if the guard was armed.

Clarence was not injured during the attack..

During a press conference Wednesday, Beverly Hills Police Chief Mark Stainbrook shared a message from the family, but wouldn't share details on the investigation or who was involved.

Among tributes to Jacqueline was one from former President Bill Clinton, who said, "Jackie Avant was a wonderful woman, a great partner to Clarence and mother to Alex and Nicole, an active citizen & a dear friend to Hillary and me for 30 years. She inspired admiration, respect & affection in everyone who knew her. We are heartbroken. She will be deeply missed."

The high school basketball player who was seen on video sucker-punching his opponent in a post-game handshake line was arrested on Wednesday and charged with a felony, TMZ Sports has confirmed.

According to court documents, officials accused 17-year-old Carter Prenosil of knocking out his opponent after the Carlisle vs. Nevada hoops game on Tuesday night in Iowa.

In the docs, cops say Prenosil "threw an unwarranted punch" at a Nevada player in both the stomach and the face.

In a video of the altercation, you can see the attack was violent -- with the alleged victim appearing to be KO'ed on his feet.

According to the docs, the player suffered a concussion and a cut to his mouth that required four stitches.

Cops -- who were in attendance at the arena -- say they launched an investigation ... and ultimately arrested Prenosil on Wednesday. He was later charged with felony willful injury -- causing serious injury.

Prenosil is facing up to 10 years in prison if convicted on the charge. He's due in court for a hearing on the matter on Dec. 13.

We've reached out to Prenosil's father for comment, but so far, no word back yet.

As for Prenosil's school, Carlisle Community School District superintendent Bryce Amos told us in a statement Wednesday, "This is without question an unfortunate incident that is not representative of the school culture that exists in Carlisle Community School District."

Former UFC champion Nicco Montano says her face was stomped on and she was repeatedly kicked in the head during a violent attack at an Austin hotel early Tuesday morning, sending her to the hospital.

Thankfully, the 32-year-old fighter appears to be okay, and is now back home in New Mexico, manager Ricky Kottenstette tells TMZ Sports.

Montano recounted the alleged attack on social media ... and it sounds terrifying.

"Tonight [he] stood on my neck and stomped my face [and then] kept kicking me and shoving my hair into his fist and the corner of the bed frame," Nicco wrote.

"I got away for a second to run down the hall (naked) screaming for my life as he tried to drag me back by my hair."

"Luckily someone from the hotel heard my screams and came to my rescue."

Kottenstette tells us the alleged attacker became jealous while having drinks at a hotel bar with Nicco ... before attacking her in their room.

FYI, Montano became the UFC's first Flyweight champion in 2017 ... after she appeared on The Ultimate Fighter. In the show's finale -- with the title on the line -- Nicco beat Roxanne Modafferi by unanimous decision.

Nico last fought in July 2019, losing a unanimous decision to Julianna Pena (who's fighting Amanda Nunes at UFC 269). NM was released by the UFC this summer.

Kottenstette tells us Nicco underwent a battery of tests at the hospital ... but says thankfully the scans came back clean. The manager also says his client spoke to police at the hospital.

We've reached out to law enforcement ... but so far, no word back.

Jonshel Alexander, the former child actor who co-starred in the Oscar-nominated film “Beasts of the Southern Wild,” is dead after a shooting in her native Louisiana.

Jonshel -- who was 12 when she got the role in the 2012 film -- was sitting in a vehicle with a man last Saturday in New Orleans when someone opened fire on them. Jonshel was pronounced dead on the scene, her friend survived and went to a hospital for treatment.

Police have released a photo of a person of interest -- a Black male wearing a ski mask -- and are asking the public for help identifying and locating him.

Jonshel played Joy Strong in 'Beasts' ... a drama filmed in Louisiana about a struggling bayou community, which also had then-6-year-old Quvenzhané Wallis in the lead role. The movie got 4 Oscar noms, including Best Picture, and won the Grand Jury Prize at the Sundance Film Festival.

Director Benh Zeitlin has said he pretty much created the role of Joy specifically for Jonshel. As he put it, “A lot of the lines were written by her, and so much of the character grew out of who Jonshel was. Her character in the film is named Joy Strong, which always seemed like a perfect description of Jonshel. She was a really bright burning light.”

'Beasts' was her only acting role. After graduating high school, Jonshel worked as a hostess in restaurants and had a daughter ... according to the Times-Picayune/New Orleans Advocate.

Jonshel was 22.

Neighbors of Clarence and Jacqueline Avant have been alarmed by the crime wave in Beverly Hills and L.A. ... so much so they hired armed guards before Wednesday's fatal home invasion.

Residents in Trousdale Estate tell us just last week a bunch of neighbors got together and hired a private security firm. Law enforcement tells us there has been a spike in home and vehicle burglaries in Trousdale ... and it's got residents scared stiff.

Our source tells us the neighbors pooled cash and hired the security company ... problem is, the guards hadn't started patrols yet.

Some residents are so concerned after Wednesday's home invasion ... they've individually hired armed guards. And, on top of that, sources at the Beverly Hills PD tell us they will be measurably increasing patrols in the area. The PD has also hired a private security company to make sure the area is adequately covered.

Our BHPD sources tell us as far as they can see there is no connection to the smash-and-grab robberies in Beverly Hills and L.A. Louis Vuitton and Saks Fifth Avenue were both hit recently in Bev Hills.

TMZ broke the story, Avant was killed in her home early Wednesday morning. We know at least one suspect made their way into the home where Jackie was shot in the stomach ... she was awake and alert when paramedics arrived, but later died at the hospital.

Clarence Avant, a legendary music exec who was just inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, had a tragedy at home Tuesday night ... a home invasion where his wife of 54 years -- Jacqueline Avant -- was shot and killed ... TMZ has learned.

It happened in the Trousdale Estates ... a high-end area neighboring Beverly Hills. Law enforcement tells TMZ, Beverly Hills PD got a call at 2:30 AM for a home invasion. The caller told the dispatcher someone had been shot. By the time they arrived, Jackie had already been rushed to a nearby hospital, where she was pronounced dead.

A family source tells us the people who broke into the house fired shots and hit Jackie. Clarence was home at the time. We do not know if he was hurt.

Jackie and Clarence's daughter is Nicole Avant, who is married to Netflix CEO Ted Sarandos.

Clarence is known as the Godfather of Black Music. He's been regularly celebrated by the likes of Jay-Z and Diddy, L.A. Reid and Babyface. He was inducted into the Hall of Fame back in October.

Jackie served as the President of the Neighbors of Watts, a support group that focused on child care. She was also on the Board of Directors of UCLA's International Student Center.

Jacqueline was 81.

RIP

Tate Myre -- a star junior for the Oxford Wildcats football team -- died trying to disarm the gunman during the tragic school shooting on Tuesday ... and now, the running back's peers want to honor his legacy by renaming the stadium after him.

A 15-year-old was taken into custody after 3 students were killed and 8 others were injured in the 5-minute attack ... with witnesses claiming the athlete tried to subdue the shooter.

16-year-old Myre was shot in the confrontation and was rushed by a deputy to a local hospital. Unfortunately, Myre succumbed to his injuries in the police car.

Myre's classmates have been posting about their grief ... sharing memorable stories about Tate. One person even launched a Change.org petition, calling on the school to rename Wildcats Stadium in his honor -- it currently has more than 55,000 signatures.

Myre was a standout athlete for the Wildcats -- he was interested in playing for schools like Michigan State, Texas, Notre Dame, USC, Texas A&M and more.

In his recruitment bio, Myre had goals of playing at the next level.

"I have been in love with football since I was young and always dreamed of playing college football," he said in his profile. "If I play college football I will be the hardest worker on the field and no matter the situation in the game I will give all my effort."

Myre appeared to be on his way to making that dream a reality -- he recently visited the University of Toledo on a recruitment trip.

Alec Baldwin says he didn't pull the trigger on the gun that killed Halyna Hutchins, the first time we've heard him make the new claim, and leaving many more questions to be answered.

The actor is speaking out about the 'Rust' tragedy in his first sit-down interview, which will air Thursday on ABC. The network just released a teaser for what is to be discussed, and there's a lot to unpack -- including his claim that he didn't squeeze the trigger.

In a nearly 2 minute clip, you hear anchor George Stephanopoulos peppering Baldwin with questions -- and it sounds like he's asking everything that most everybody has wondered about this story ... and Alec seems to respond to much of it, oftentimes in emotional terms.

One question revolves around the alleged fact that Alec pulling the trigger during the rehearsal that day was not called for in the script ... at least according to people who've sued over this so far.

Immediately in response, Alec is heard saying ... "Well, the trigger wasn't pulled. I didn't pull the trigger." GS seems stunned, but AB insists he'd never point a gun at someone and fire. Of course, this would mean Baldwin is suggesting the gun misfired on its own.

There's not much clarity on what Alec means exactly -- but we suppose everyone will get the answer when this chat hits the airwaves tomorrow.

An Indiana cop captured on video kicking a dog on someone's front porch will not be prosecuted ... and his bosses say that's due to the full picture of what happened.

The disturbing video was posted this week by a woman who wrote, "Yesterday evening while my family and I were at work, someone broke into my home. My dogs ran the intruder off. This was the response shortly after a neighbor called. My home needed help and all it received was hurt."

Of course, outrage ensued ... and many were calling for the officer's badge number, not to mention his job. On its face, it looks like the cop is just going to town on the unleashed dog, which was barking at him.

Well, apparently there's more to the story. Terre Haute PD tells TMZ neighbors had been calling about this dog and another from this home constantly being on the loose and attacking people, including kids.

On this particular night, Nov. 29, they got a call about a white pit bull on the loose in the neighborhood -- just the latest call for this exact thing, they say. Officers came out, and THPD says they actually encountered 2 dogs -- including the one seen in this video -- which were allegedly lunging at the officers.

After talking to neighbors about how the dogs escaped their backyard, THPD says this sergeant walked onto the porch ... and that's where the video picks begins. The owners apparently weren't home, so the officers waited ... and then cited the owners when they eventually arrived, ringing 'em up for 6 separate counts related to the dogs being loose.

As for what happens now ... well, THPD says the Virgo County Prosecutor's Office has already reviewed the case, and found the cop didn't violate any laws. Still, the department says it's conducting its own review, and the cop is on leave for now.

Vivica A. Fox is a ride or die friend, because she made it clear Tuesday night ... she stands by Jussie Smollett in bad times as well as good.

Vivica was at the TCL Chinese Theatre for the premiere of her movie, "True to the Game 3." Our photog asked about her ties with Jussie, and Vivica showed Smollett mad love.

What's interesting ... she never said if she believed he was actually attacked on the streets of Chicago back in 2019. Clearly, prosecutors don't believe him, because he's currently on trial for allegedly staging the incident. He's charged with 6 felonies and could be sent to prison for years if convicted.

A jury has been selected and testimony has begun. It's unclear if Jussie will take the stand in his own defense. Typically, defendants in criminal cases stay mum, but this case almost demands Jussie tell the jury his version of what happened.

Chris Cuomo will be off the air for the foreseeable future on CNN's airwaves -- the cable news network just suspended the guy ... all over his efforts to protect his brother.  The question ... does Chris survive this at CNN?

CNN just announced they're benching Chris indefinitely over newly released evidence put out by the New York Attorney General's Office, which shows purported texts Chris sent to people on Andrew Cuomo's team in the middle of his sexual harassment scandal.

They say the new transcripts and exhibits that were dumped Monday "shed new light on Chris Cuomo's involvement in his brother's defense. The documents, which we were not privy to before their public release, raise serious questions."

CNN goes on to add Chris told them he admitted he'd offered advice to his brother's staff, breaking their rules ... which the network acknowledged publicly some time ago.

A network rep says they understood where he was coming from at the time, but in light of this -- they say, "[T]hese documents point to a greater level of involvement ... than we previously knew." As a result, he's suspended pending further evaluation.

ICYMI ... Chris was revealed to have texted about specific accusers, including Anna Ruch -- who accused Andrew of kissing her at a wedding. CC allegedly wrote to a staffer of Andrew's ... "I have a lead on the wedding girl," which implies he was looking into her.

The NY AG docs also suggest Chris was reaching out to his media industry sources to get recon on who else might be coming forward with allegations against his bro.

As you know ... Gov. Cuomo ultimately resigned from his post, maintaining he never purposely did anything inappropriate. However, he has since been embroiled legally as well ... now facing criminal charges over some of the claims against him.

Cuomo's ratings have tanked over the last few months, and the fact CNN is characterizing his suspension as "indefinite" opens the door to the question ... will CC ever return to the CNN anchor seat?

The big mystery in the fatal shooting on the set of Alec Baldwin's movie "Rust" remains ... how live rounds ended up in the weapon, and now investigators are taking a closer look at the film's ammo supplier.

According to a new search warrant, obtained by TMZ, detectives in New Mexico have interviewed a guy named Seth Kenney, one of the suppliers of the ammunition head armorer Hannah Reed used on set.

Cops also spoke to Hannah's father, Thell Reed, who himself is an experienced armorer who has worked with Seth. In the docs, cops say Thell told them he and Seth crossed paths on a different production ... a month or 2 before the "Rust" tragedy.

What's interesting about that is ... Thell claims Seth brought live ammo -- a can with about 200 to 300 rounds -- to that set for the purpose of weapons training. When the training was completed, Thell says Seth took back the remaining bullets, and claims that included some live Colt .45 ammo.

The gun Baldwin fired was a long barrel Colt .45. You see where Thell is going with this -- he told cops the leftover ammo from his production might match that which killed cinematographer Halyna Hutchins.

That's his theory, anyway, and cops are willing to check it out -- the Santa Fe County Sheriff's Dept. got the warrant to search Seth's company, PDQ Arm & Prop.

Presumably, they want to see if the fatal round matches those in the can of live ammo from a couple months ago. The judge signed off, giving detectives the greenlight to scoop up the potential evidence.

And, there's this ... according to the docs, cops also spoke to "Rust" prop master, Sarah Zachry, who said she checked the ammo box -- after Halyna was shot -- and found some bullets that rattled, indicating they're dummy rounds, and others that didn't. That led her to believe there were even more live rounds in the ammo box.

Remember, Hannah's attorneys floated a theory that someone, perhaps a disgruntled crew member, intentionally brought live bullets on set to sabotage the production -- but D.A. Mary Carmack-Altwies has said she isn't buying that.

Ex-UCF star football player Otis Anderson Jr. was allegedly shot and killed by his dad on Monday night ... after the two had gotten into an argument over a dog bite.

It's all spelled out in new police documents, obtained by TMZ Sports, in which cops say Otis Jr.'s mom, Denise Anderson, told them the whole, violent altercation started after her son's girlfriend's dog had bitten Otis Anderson Sr.

Cops say Denise told them Otis Sr. was so enraged over the bloody wound caused by the dog -- he and Otis Jr. proceeded to get into a verbal altercation.

Denise claimed the two were eventually separated when she told Otis Jr. to go upstairs ... but cops say she then got into an argument with Otis Sr., one in which Otis Sr. flipped over a recliner, causing Otis Jr. to come back downstairs to check on his mom.

When Otis Jr. made it back downstairs, cops say Denise told them the father and son "got into another verbal altercation and it appeared like they were going to fight."

It's unclear exactly what happened next -- the report was heavily redacted by police -- but in the docs, cops note when they arrived on the scene, they found Otis Jr. suffering from "at least one gunshot wound to the chest."

The cops also noted in the docs Denise was "suffering from multiple graze wounds."

Officers say Otis. Jr. was pronounced dead at a nearby hospital, while Denise was treated for her wounds at the facility and later released.

In the docs, cops say they eventually arrested Anderson Sr. and booked him on charges of murder and attempted murder.

Jail records show he's still currently in custody.

As we reported, the NFL community is mourning the loss of Otis Jr. -- who signed with the Los Angeles Rams earlier this season before getting cut in September -- with stars like Jalen Ramsey and Micah Parsons expressing sadness over the situation.

UCF has also commented on the tragedy, saying in a statement, "He was revered by his teammates, our fans, and everyone within Knight Nation."

"Our deepest condolences go out to everyone who loved Otis. He was taken too soon and will truly be missed."

El Chapo's wife will see time behind bars -- but it'll be way less than her hubby's life sentence.

Emma Coronel Aispuro was sentenced to 3 years in prison Tuesday for her role in Chapo's drug empire -- significantly less time than what many people expected she'd get, which was somewhere in the ballpark of around 10 years, if not more.

Of course, she had prosecutors pushing for a fairly lenient sentence on account of her cooperation and plea deal -- but it was unclear if the judge would still go easy on her. Seems the court felt her crimes she pled guilty to weren't worth more than a few years in prison.

She'll also have 4 years of supervised release and a forfeiture judgment of $1,499,970 representing proceeds of and property gained by Aispuro as a result of the crimes.

As we reported ... Coronel Aispuro copped a plea deal earlier this year after getting busted for drug trafficking at the Dulles International Airport in Virginia. She pled guilty to money laundering and conspiracy to distribute cocaine, meth, heroin and marijuana.

Her attorneys argued (apparently with some success) that El Chapo's spouse was not a ring leader of any sort, nor was she intricately involved in her husband's operation at a key level. They also claimed she only participated because she had no other choice.

The recent string of mass shopliftings in retail, high-end and jewelry stores has corporations desperate for a way to stop thieves, and one new strategy seems to have done just that ... resulting in several arrests.

Law enforcement sources tell TMZ ... Lululemon Athletica has been putting tracking devices on store merchandise -- not necessarily to stop the theft from happening, but to recover lost goods after the crime takes place.

We're told as a result of the trackers, police were recently able to track down several women in a vehicle in Orange County, shortly after they'd hit a Lululemon store in Los Angeles.

Cops recovered around $15,000 worth of stolen Lulu gear when they pulled over the vehicle ... along with another $5,000 in goods stolen from other stores in the area.

As we've reported, it was just last week when a Louis Vuitton store was ransacked in a San Francisco smash-and-grab that looked like it was out of a movie ... with the alleged thieves scrambling to waiting vehicles.

Another flash-rob happened at an L.A. area LV store recently as well.