By: ShaCamree Gowdy 

Los Angeles police have made an arrest in the murder of a prominent 48-year-old Bank of America executive who was found dead in her Reseda, California, home on Thursday, August 5.  

Family members were worried when they couldn’t get in touch with Michelle Avan. She was pronounced dead on the scene at around 7 a.m., and while an exact cause of death is unknown, homicide detectives said she “appeared to have suffered trauma to her face,” per NBC4’s Eric Leonard and Andrew Blankstein. 

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Anthony Duwayne Turner, 52, has since been arrested and is being held at the LAPD Valley Bureau Jail on a $2 million bail. Jail records show that he is facing a felony, though it is unclear what crime he is accused of. 

The Los Angeles Sentinel named Avan one of L.A.’s Influential Black Women Leaders in 2019, per ABC7’s Carlos Granda. She worked for Bank of America as a senior vice president, helping to recruit women and under-represented communities around the world. 

A Bank of America representative told PEOPLE that the news has left them “devastated,” adding that “Michelle was a valued member of our company for more than 20 years and will be greatly missed. We extend our deepest sympathies to her family.” 

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Retired banking executive Darrell Brown also spoke to Avan’s praises, remembering her as “one of the highest-ranking, most recognized women in banking,” who “would always find a way to lift people up,” especially in African American communities. 

If you or someone you know is struggling from trauma triggered by this story, resources are available here.