Lady Gaga’s French Bulldogs were ‘dognapped’ last year and the verdict has been ruled. The man who shot the dogwalker and stole the star’s dogs has been sentenced to 21 years in prison.
James Howard Jackson, one of the three men and two accomplices who violently assaulted Lady Gaga’s dog walker, Ryan Fischer, pleaded guilty to one count of attempted murder. This verdict was made after US marshals started looking for Jackson, who was mistakenly released from custody in April due to a clerical error.
The ‘dognapping’ scene
In February 2021, Jackson, Jaylin White and Lafayette Whaley drove around Los Angeles on the prowl for French bulldogs – an expensive breed of dog, that can sell for thousands of dollars. The pair came across Fischer walking Lady Gaga’s three dogs near Sunset Boulevard, but they didn’t know the pets belonged to the Hollywood popstar.
The men rushed to Fischer, shouting for him to “give it up” as they grabbed at the animals’ leashes, he told Rolling Stone.
The dog walker flung a champagne bottle he was holding at them while still gripping two of the leashes, when one of the men started choking him.
It was then that Jackson fired a handgun and shot Fischer, which led to the group getting away with two of the dogs (Kovi and Gustav). The third, Miss Asis, stayed hidden under bushes. Fischer was left bleeding on the pavement, but the only thing going through his mind was how to get the dogs back.
“I was bleeding out and that was the thought that was going through my head,” he told Rolling Stone.
“What’s the best way to do this so the dogs can be found?”
Fischer was heard on a recording from a nearby doorbell camera screaming:
“Oh, my God! I’ve been shot!”
“Help me!”
“I’m bleeding out from my chest!”
He was seen cuddling Miss Asia as he received treatment on the pavement for his injuries after the robbery. Fischer claimed that the attack was a ‘very close call with death.’
The bullet that Fischer has been shot with pierced his lung, which collapsed several times and required removal of more than a third of the organ. He was also left with several broken ribs and cuts on his arms and legs.
The aftermath
After the robbery, Lady Gaga offered “$500,000 (estimated R873 650) to anyone who has her two dogs, no questions asked.”
The dogs were returned several days later by a woman who was also charged with the crime.
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The DA official issued a statement that said:
“The plea agreement holds Mr. Jackson accountable for perpetrating a cold-hearted violent act and provides justice for our victim,”
Fisher took to the stands saying:
“It’s hard to believe that it’s nearing two years since I was taking Asia, Koji and Gustav out for an evening stroll when in an instant I suddenly found myself fighting with everything I had to protect those dogs from being stolen. But it wasn’t enough: I was beaten, strangled, shot and left to die, bleeding out on a sidewalk and gasping for my life. And Koji and Gustav were gone.”
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Jackson was sentenced to 21 years in prison.
One accomplice, Harold White, pleaded guilty to breaking the law that prevents former convicts from possessing firearms. He is due to be sentenced next year. White’s son, Jaylin White, and Lafayette Shon Whaley both pleaded guilty last year to second-degree robbery and were sentenced to four and six years in prison respectively.
The person who returned the dogs (unharmed), Jennifer McBride, was later charged with being an accessory to attempted murder and her case remains pending, according to the District Attorney’s Office.
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Featured Image: @ladygaga/Instagram
