Covina man arrested for fatal 2022 Pasadena shooting

PASADENA, Calif. - A 34-year-old Covina man was arrested in connection with a fatal and alleged gang-related shooting 2022 shooting in Pasadena, police announced Tuesday.

Avery Lavon Bennett was arrested Thursday outside his Pasadena home by local police and the U.S. Marshal's Pacific Southwest Regional Fugitive Taskforce, officials said. Bennett was in possession of two loaded firearms at the time of his arrest, according to police.

He was arrested in connection with the May 2, 2022, shooting of 28-year-old Eric Lynn Thomas.

That night around 8:42 p.m., police responded to the 1700 block of North Fair Oaks Avenue and found the victim unresponsive and suffering from multiple gunshot wounds. He was pronounced dead at the scene, police said.

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"Over the next several months, (homicide) detectives worked tirelessly investigating leads and obtaining incriminating evidence," according to the department. "Their meticulous work led to the identification of a suspect connected to a local criminal street gang."

No other details of the killing or a possible motive were released.

Bennett was being held on more than $3 million bail, police said.