Attorney calls L.A. arrest of ex-Tech star Crittenton ‘very odd'

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By Christian Boone

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

Former Georgia Tech star basketball star Javaris Crittenton had expected to be in jail Tuesday, just not in Los Angeles.

AP Photo/FBI, AP This photo released by the FBI on Monday Aug. 29,2011 of Javaris Crittenton, age 23, of Fayetteville, Ga., who is wanted by the Atlanta Police Department on murder charges stemming from the August 19, 2011 fatal shooting of a 22-year-old woman, Julian Jones. The FBI says, Crittenton, a former NBA first-round draft choice, is believed to be in the Los Angeles area. The FBI warrant is for unlawful flight to avoid prosecution.

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Javaris Crittenton (at his draft party in 2007) was picked 19th in the first round by the LA Lakers. He was traded to Memphis as a rookie.

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Julian Jones, a 22-year old mother of four, was killed in a drive-by shooting on Aug. 19. A murder warrant in the slaying has been issued for former Georgia Tech basketball player Javaris Crittenton.

Channel 2 Action News Julian Jones, a 22-year old mother of four, was killed in a drive-by shooting on Aug. 19. A murder warrant in the slaying has been issued for former Georgia Tech basketball player Javaris Crittenton.

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His attorney, Brian Steel, said he had arranged for the 23-year-old suspect, wanted in connection with the shooting death of a mother of four, to fly back to his hometown early Tuesday morning and turn himself in to Atlanta police, per their request.

But FBI agents and members of the Los Angeles Police Department joint fugitive task squad intercepted the NBA journeyman after he had checked in to board a Delta Air Lines flight to Atlanta.

"It's very odd," said Steel, who's still trying to gain information about his client's detention. Asked what happened, Steel said, "You have to ask [the FBI]."

An agency spokesman declined comment on that particular aspect of Crittenton's arrest.

Crittenton is now in the custody of the Los Angeles County sheriff and will appear Wednesday morning in Los Angeles criminal court, a spokeswoman said.

How long he remains the ward of the L.A. sheriff depends on whether he fights extradition to Atlanta, said Los Angeles County District Attorney's Office spokeswoman Jane Robison.

"If he fights it, it could be a month of two," she told the AJC. "If not, it's just a matter of how fast [Atlanta police] can come here to pick him up."

Crittenton is wanted in Atlanta for the Aug. 19 shooting of 22-year-old Julian Jones, hit by bullets apparently intended for someone she knew, Atlanta police Maj. Keith Meadows said.

Jones was walking with a group that included a teen male Crittenton believed had robbed him of a diamond watch, diamond necklace and an iPhone, valued at more than $55,000, in April. Witnesses told police the shots were fired near Jones' Macon Drive home in southwest Atlanta from a black Chevrolet Tahoe linked to the former prep standout.

"It appears Mr. Crittenton observed who he thought was the perpetrator walking down the street," Meadows said. "It so happens Miss Jones was walking down the street at the same time."

Wednesday afternoon, the APD plans to canvass the neighborhood where the shooting took place, seeking information from residents.

Steel said his client is eager to clear his name.

"He's innocent of the charges," Steel said.

Crittenton, who has a home in Fayetteville, was traded by the Los Angeles Lakers during his rookie season to the Memphis Grizzlies, who later shipped him to Washington.

While with the Wizards, the 6-foot-5 shooting guard was involved in a locker room showdown with teammate Gilbert Arenas in which the two pulled guns on each other.

Crittenton pleaded guilty in that incident and was given a year of probation on a misdemeanor gun possession charge in January 2010. The NBA also suspended him for the rest of the season.