LOS ANGELES (AP) — Former NBA player Javaris
Crittenton was in police custody after being arrested at a Southern California
airport to board a flight to Atlanta, where his lawyer said he would go to
surrender in a murder case.
Crittenton, who was suspended from the league for
having guns in a locker room with teammate Gilbert Arenas, was arrested Monday
evening at John Wayne Airport in Orange County after checking in for a redeye
Delta Air Lines flight, FBI spokeswoman Laura Eimiller said. She said he was
with a male companion who was not arrested.
Crittenton was taken to a Los Angeles police
station where he was booked on suspicion of being a fugitive from justice.
Eimiller said he will be held pending a possible court appearance in state
court Wednesday before being taken to Atlanta.
Atlanta Police spokeswoman Kim Jones said Tuesday
the timetable for Crittenton's return depends on whether he waives extradition.
Crittenton, 23, was wanted on a federal arrest
warrant after the FBI learned that he traveled on a one-way ticket to Los
Angeles, where he was known to have family and friends, several days after a
deadly Aug. 19 shooting.
Crittenton's attorney told the Associated Press
earlier Monday that his client planned to surrender. He said he was in contact
with Fulton County District Attorney Paul Howard and the FBI Fugitive Task
Force to make arrangements for Crittenton's arrest.
"He offered to turn himself in," lawyer
Brian Steel said. "He's not guilty. We look forward to getting it to the
courts."
Eimiller said she wasn't aware of any negotiation
for Crittenton to surrender.
Police in Atlanta had obtained a murder warrant for
Crittenton in the Aug. 19 shooting of 22-year-old Jullian Jones, a mother of
four young children, as she was walking with two men. Police believe one of the
men with her was the target.
Police spokesman Carlos Campos had said the motive
appears to be retaliation for a robbery in April, in which Crittenton was a
victim.
When he was with the Washington Wizards in December
2009, Crittenton and Arenas had a dispute over a card game on a team flight.
Two days later, Arenas brought four guns to the locker room and set them in
front of Crittenton's locker with a sign telling him to "PICK 1."
Crittenton then took out his own gun.
Crittenton pleaded guilty in January 2010 to a
misdemeanor gun charge and received a year of unsupervised probation. Arenas
entered his guilty plea on Jan. 15. He served a short time in a halfway house.
Crittenton is on the roster of the NBA
developmental league's Dakota Wizards.
Associated Press writer Denise Petski contributed
to this report.
Copyright
2011 The Associated Press.
(AP
Photo/FBI)
