Last week, the man involved in the assault and shooting of Lady Gaga’s dog walker in 2021 while stealing her pet French Bulldogs was finally sentenced to 21 years in prison, according to the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s office.
James Howard Jackson, 20, pleaded no contest to the attempted murder charge and and “admitted the allegation of inflicting great bodily injury and to a prior strike” as part of a settlement, the DA’s office said in a statement. He was immediately sentenced to prison, NBC Los Angeles reported.
The dog walker, Ryan Fischer, was walking Lady Gaga’s three French bulldogs on February 24, 2021 when he was accosted and shot. The attackers fled and stole two of the dogs, Koji and Gustav. Jackson was one of three men who were driving around Los Angeles in February 2021 looking for bulldogs when they came across Fischer with Lady Gaga’s dogs, according to a criminal complaint.
Two of the men jumped out of the car and began to choke and hit Fischer, who struggled against the attackers, the complaint said. One of the men then shot the dogwalker with what officials said was a .40-caliber handgun, and the trio fled with the two dogs. Luckily, Fischer survived.
In April, Jackson was released from jail by mistake due to what the sheriff’s department said was a “clerical error.” Then in August, almost four months after he was mistakenly freed from custody in Los Angeles, Jackson was captured and arrested in Palmdale, a city north of Los Angeles, the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department said.
Jackson and the two other thieves involved were charged with attempted murder, conspiracy to commit robbery and second-degree robbery. The other two were charged with being an accessory after the fact. One of the men, Jaylin Keyshawn White, 20, pleaded no contest to a charge of second-degree robbery and was sentenced to four years in state prison in August, NBC Los Angeles reported. Harold White, the third thief charged in connection with the attack, also pleaded no contest to one count of an ex-convict in possession of a gun, the district attorney’s office said. He will be sentenced next year.
Other charges, including attempted murder, conspiracy to commit robbery and assault were dismissed as a result of his plea, Deputy District Attorney Michele Hanisee said to the news outlet.
The dogs, Koji and Gustav, were turned in to police unharmed days after the robbery. Lady Gaga had offered a $500,000 reward for their return. The Los Angeles Police Department said at the time they don’t think the thieves knew the animals belonged to the musician but targeted them because of the high price French Bulldogs can bring on the open market.
French Bulldogs, or “Frenchies,” as they’re known to fans, continue to be one of the most popular dog breeds in the world. The American Kennel Club ranked French bulldogs as the second-most popular breed of dog in 2021. And Winston, a 3 year-old cream-colored Frenchie, just won Best In Show at the 2022 National Dog Show, just months after placing first runner up (or “reserve best in show”) at the Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show in June.
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